Hail Memphis, full of Graceland

Photographer Ralph Burns describes the scene at Graceland. It’s full of hope, love, and a desperate nostalgia for a feeling. 

Directed and shot by Jethro Waters, In Love’s Shadow is a film that discusses capturing subjects and being captured by them. As Ralph processes the film he shot over the past week or two in Memphis, he narrates over the scenes that Waters stitches together, frame by frame. We see all sides of the story; old-timers who have been visiting Elvis’ grave for forty years, younger folks dressed up in circle skirts and blouses, and people who just show up to visit Elvis’ home when there’s a big crowd all around. 

Ralph shares his own stories and vulnerabilities as the crowds gather around him. They pose for the camera, imitating Elvis in all versions of himself, from his 26-year-old appearance in Blue Hawaii to exquisite jumpsuits from the tours in the late 60s through the 70s. The piece is both morbid and exceptionally vibrant, a dedication to the love people still have for the American King of Rock and Roll.  

In Love’s Shadow is, ultimately, a film about legacies. It creates the line between artist and subject and then stomps it out. With high-contrast photos inserted in between scenes of mourning and celebration, the world of Graceland becomes memorialized over and over again, revolving around a single artist.