Review of King (2006) by David U — 30 May 2006

[font=Trebuchet MS][i]Spoilers within.[/i].

The main idea I drew from British writer-director James Marsh's fascinating first feature [i]The King[/i] was something I've believed for quite a while: that while I may not believe in a religion or a God myself, it's important to let other people believe it they wish, because they might fall apart otherwise. This isn't by any means all [i]The King[/i] has to say, nor is it a constant truth, but it's certainly an integral part of it. At one point, Twyla Sandow (Laura Harring, proving beyond all doubt that Mulholland Drive was no fluke) wanders out of her husband's church and onto the middle of a busy road in bewilderment, muttering to herself that "nothing makes any sense anymore". It's a crushing moment, because Twyla has lost not just her belief in her faith, but it everything. [i]The King'[/i]s true strenght lies in the fact that it cannot be pinned down to any straightforward description: it's multi-faceted examinations are hard to truly understand, but because it's plot is so simultaneously straightforward, they don't seem empty. Life is an inscrutible thing, and thus is [i]The King[/i].

The title refers to Elvis (Gael Garcia Bernal)- no, not [i]that [/i]one, but a young and obviously troubled young man who, just discharged from the navy, goes to visit the father he never knew, who has now become a Texan priest in the form of David Sandow (William Hurt), whose got a seemingly perfect and very religious family in Twyla, guitarist son Paul (Paul Dano) and pretty, unspoiled 16-year-old daughter Malerie (Pell James). Pay attention from the very beginning, mind: in the first minute two important and revealing moments clue us in to the character of Elvis. With Bernal's now-famed good looks, Elvis wants to give the impression of an upstanding young man, cautiously approaching David's church and then following his father's car until finally, David stops and discovers who he is. It's unclear as to whether it is actually David's rebuttal of Elvis that unleashes Elvis' underhanded fury- or is it?- but whichever, a spurned Elvis persues Malerie, who very gradually gives in to his advances and lets rise to a clearly wrong and incestuous affair, though she is of course unaware of his true identity.

Normally, Malerie's character arc would simplistically be given as a journey from angel to slut, so to speak, but Marsh and co-writer Milo Addica don't write things so simplistically- no, Malerie could more usefully be described as maturing, finally questioning her father's strict code and discovering what [i]she[/i] wants from life. Several sex scenes between Elvis and Malerie reveal the changes with Malerie, as Eigil Bryld's camera focuses not on 'The King' but on Malerie, and James pulls this character off flawlessly- nervous and naive as Elvis coldly takes her virginity, then later, cool and even demanding as she discovers she can take control. Eventually, of course, Malerie will discover who Elvis truly is, but by then Elvis has moved on, and Malerie is left hanging, damaged, but perhaps empowered.

There is, of course, no coincidence in the fact that Elvis is named as such, and it is perhaps because, like the legendary one, he is such an enigma. For most of the film, Elvis' motivations and morality are constantly in question, and as such turns in the plot which hinge on him could be jarring, but because we do not understand him, it is easier to accept these turns. Elvis is a man- perhaps even boy- without a father figure, cared for by a mother I suppose was lax in compensation, and finally, thrust into the navy, Elvis was surprised by the regimency he found. Elvis is not, in stark contrast to his father's family, bound by any kind of codes or faith, and so his clash with them is obviously going to be dangerous. What is not obvious, however, is the differing impact this has on each one of them. Marsh and Addica pay just as much attention to David, Paul and Twyla as they do to Elvis and Malerie, and what [i]The King[/i] becomes is an intensely personal examination of individual belief and reactions.

[i]The King[/i] is not an easy film to get along with, and obviously, your own beliefs are going to heavily influence your reactions to the film, but such strong reactions are only a sign of a powerful film: with such a constant hot-potato subject like religion, it takes a brave filmmaker to brace it properly, and this is exactly what Marsh has done here. [i]The King[/i] is not a film which criticizes religion, nor does it celebrate it, but instead aims to examine why people believe what they do, how this can influence their actions and reactions, and what impact these believes have on the people around them. Ultimately, David comes to recognize his own dark past and use it to challenge the stance of his own congregation (upon his revelations, several members of his church leave in disgust, but even more stay and applaude his embrace of Elvis)- this alienates a distraught Twyla, while Malerie has already rebutted much of her religion in pursuit of Elvis. Marsh uses the microcosm of one family to paint a believable portrait of the world's struggle with religion, and, in doing so, has crafted one of the most challenging and fascinating films of the year.

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