The Elephant Man (1980)


The Elephant Man (1980)

“I am not an animal. I am a human being.”

 

These are the heartbreaking words that John Merrick says when he gets fed up with people gawking at him and comparing him to an animal. David Lynch’s The Elephant Man is a hard-hitting story about a real-life person who is an outcast due to his deformities. However, Lynch who also wrote the script, portrays this subject matter in a more positive light. Themes of courage, and the fact that everyone is human no matter the circumstances are brought to light here. Prepare to bring the tissues, because this story is an emotional story and I can guarantee no one will have a dry eye when the end credits appear on screen.

 

I will go right into the thick of the story. John Merrick (John Hurt), nicknamed “The Elephant Man” is a man with a wonderful personality, but is hated by the English society because of his deformed body. He was discovered at a freak show by a kind doctor named Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins), and Treves gives Merrick the life and the treatment that he has never received before.

 

The true story is a tragic and a heartwarming story. It makes you lose your faith in humanity, but then you believe not all hope is lost. There are caring people out in the world and the film gives you prime examples of these people. In addition to Treves, we have Carr Gomm (John Gielgud) who is Treve’s understanding superior, Mrs. Kendal (Anne Bancroft) who became a wonderful lady friend to Merrick, and Mothershead (Wendy Hiller) who took good care of Merrick in the hospital.

 

David Lynch is a great director who is known for directing very strange films. When the film opened, and the disturbing montage of elephants and Merrick’s mom giving birth appeared, I became worried that the movie would end up being some odd take on this story. Fortunately, this turned out to be one of Lynch’s more straightforward stories he told on the big screen. He took a difficult and odd subject matter, and turned it into one of the most emotional stories I have seen.

 

The performances are fantastic up and down the board. The one standout is John Hurt’s mesmerizing performance as John Merrick that garnered him an Academy Award nomination. He was always a committed actor, and that really shows in this film. In addition to his wonderfully horrifying makeup work, you believe that you are watching “The Elephant Man.” You feel his pain and his emotions as he tries to live with his deformities in an era where people like him are not accepted. Anthony Hopkins also delivers a strong performance as Frederick Treves. He came across as aloof, but kind-hearted enough to help Merrick. The film does a good job highlighting the relationship between these two characters.

 

If there are any criticisms I had to make, it would be with pacing. The film portrays Merrick as a man who can hardly speak then in the next instant, he would be quoting Shakespeare with exact precision. I had difficulty keeping up with the timeline, and it caused some confusion at times.

 

The Elephant Man also made some history. People in the industry were angered because the film didn’t get the proper recognition for its makeup. That caused the Academy, in the following year, to create a category for makeup. The makeup artist, Christopher Tucker did an amazing job creating the real, authentic look of John Merrick. The work put into the makeup was grueling, and John Hurt has been quoted saying this is the film that made him “hate” acting. That hard effort paid off!

 

This movie is a wonderful, emotional true story about the man named John Merrick who went from a freak show performer to a man being recognized for the person he is with the help of some very good individuals. John Hurt’s performance is one for the ages, and he has a bunch of wonderful supporting performances to work with. I liked Lynch’s idea to film the movie in black-and-white. Freddie Francis’s camera work is put to fine use in the movie. In a world with increasing darkness, The Elephant Man gave me a little hope.

 

My Grade: A-

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