Austin Butler threw his voice, body and soul into playing Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s grandiose musical drama “Elvis,” even recording his own versions of the rock ‘n’ roll icon’s hip-swiveling, live-wire early songs. But to bring the big-budget epic to its showstopping close, Luhrmann and Butler painstakingly re-created one of Presley’s most famous and heart-rending live performances: “Unchained Melody.”
The year was 1977. Presley, his body visibly suffering from years of drug abuse and deteriorating health, took the stage in his iconic bejeweled white jumpsuit for a concert in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Two months later he would die at 42 at home at Graceland. But on this night he wanted to play his stripped-down version of the Righteous Brothers ballad, which he had recently recorded. It would hit the charts posthumously a year after his death, leaving a mournful grace note on his legendary career.
