Elvis Presley: The Searcher

This documentary was made by people who love music, it's origins and roots, and Elvis himself. From that startpoint, a fair thing to say would be that it accomplished almost every aspect meant for a piece of this kind: entertain, inform, deliver his music, to show unknown footage, and get you closer to the subject himself.

As it's told in chronological order (with the exception of inserts from the 1968 special very well placed as the turning point it was), you get to know some special aspects related to the music, his state of mind, and the importance of it's roots.

For me, one of the key aspects, it's that there's no images of people offering their interpretation or opinions, only voiceovers from Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Red West, Ike Turner, Emmy Lou Harris, and Priscilla Presley; who clearly appreciate y loved his music.

This reinforced the value of the outtakes, films, early recordings and photograps which where choosed with and evident mastercraft and respect.

The only dissapointment was that there's little mention to the most negative aspects of the person as it as (the infidelities, the camp aspects of his period in Vegas, karate, etc); but at the end it doesn't cloud the fact at hand: he was an ARTIST, a sensitive person, and a full entertainer.

I recommend this documentary, because it made me feel i discover some aspects of him worth knowing.

I am a fan of a lot of music from the 60's and 70's and for whatever reason always ignored Elvis, probably just chocking him up to a novelty or focusing mainly on his 50's music that never really appealed much to me. This long, 3.5 hour documentary opened my eyes about him and his great music he made at the end of the 60's and start of the 70's. Now I'm collecting his live performances online from that era and enjoying him a lot. Great documentary; I can only imagine it's even better for longtime fans. Elvis truly was the King!

This "HBO" doc called "Elvis Presley: "The Searcher" is long and drawn out as it's really informative and educates all about the life and the making of Elvis from his early life all the way up to death. Really it's a great biography type film to see with classic footage of concerts, interviews, and comings and goings of the one and only "King". Also the film is supported by talk and narration from the late Tom Petty and "The Boss" Springsteen and ex wife Priscilla all talk about his impact on music and culture and all recall the good and bad times.

Early you see how the blues and gospel music and being around blacks influenced "Elvis" to be outside the box and mix his music to a blend to be classified as many different styles. Then along the way his journey to "Memphis" and meeting Tom Parker would help shape his music life.

Yet a downfall and backslide was Presley's dive into movies and acting which hurt his image and would age him and cause his need to start over with music. However his pressures and stress would lead to drug abuse and a much to early departure. Overall good look at the life and times of the king the one and only "Elvis Presley"!

Sometimes it's hard for anyone born after Elvis' death to understand what was so special about him, what the mania was about, especially when we only see his later image repeated all the time. This two-part documentary lovingly follows Elvis' spirit, the essence that made him special, throughout all the stages of his life.

It starts with his roots as a boy who lived in poverty but also immersed in music, into his first success as a raw traveling talent, to his shooting success, his plateau into commercial mediocrity, then his reemergence as a larger than life superstar before his decline. It gives a more critical perspective into the musical elements and the artistic agency that really made his music stand out and influence the industry.

The Searcher is a refreshing change from the sensationalist biographies that just want to focus on his explosive success and zoom in on his weaknesses. At the same time, it does gloss over some of those darker elements - making it a slightly incomplete biography.

I personally didn't enjoy the artistic effect occasionally used of showing Elvis clips in an empty room, dressed as a household of the 50s, 60s or 70s. I suppose they were supposed to have a pensive or nostalgic effect, but to me they would momentarily drain the energy out of what is mostly a lively documentary.

Part one is the better part, especially because it's where Elvis' deep roots and passion in music are explored, whereas part two is a bit of an awkward dance between acknowledging his decline while also trying to remain full of praise. The whole thing could have likely been cut into a single 2-hour film instead of two 1.5-hour pieces.

All told, this is a great film to connect younger audiences with the historic and magical legacy of Elvis Presley, looking past the surface and the gossip to see a special man.

This is, without a doubt, one of the best documentaries I have ever seen. And I've seen a ridiculous amount of films in my life. Even if you are not a big fan of documentaries, and I'm generally not, this is worth seeing. Even if you are not a fan of Elvis Presley, this film brings a perspective of American history worth a look.

Usually, when someone is that famous, and died decades ago, we tend to believe we must know everything there is worth knowing. Two things make this film very different. First, the personal views of those who knew him best, like Priscilla Presley, and those influenced by him, like Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty, give the film a gravity rarely seen. Second, this is the rare film that neither worships nor belittles him. It approaches Elvis Presley as a human being, much like any other, whose life had an amazing range of ups and downs.

I've rated thousands of films on IMDb, but reviewed very few. This one was worth a few minutes to share my thoughts. Well done to all involved.