The Elephant Man

• 
  
  November 17, 2009

  AgentLexi2132

  ''I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being! I am a man!''
  
  A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man who is mistreated while scraping a living as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous facade, there is revealed a person of intelligence and s...( read more)ensitivity.
  
  Anthony Hopkins: Frederick Treves
  
  ''My life is full because I know I am loved.''
  
  If one was to turn on David Lynch's The Elephant Man midway through, without knowing what it was, one might be startled at the appearance of the main character. One might even be tempted to make fun of the character. But if one was to watch the film from the beginning, sympathy with John Merrick (John Hurt), The Elephant Man, would be strong enough to deny that the former situation was ever a possibility. Lynch does not allow his audience to glimpse Merrick albeit mask, until his appearance has been built up substantially. When we the audience are at our zenith of anticipation, we see him: no dramatic music, no slow motion; a simple cut and he's there. There he is. And it's not made out to be a spectacular introduction.
  
  This is the beauty of Lynch's direction. We are led through our morbid curiosity at the same rate the characters in the film are. We develop alongside them. More specifically, we develop alongside Frederick Treeves, played with an astounding sublimity of emotion by Anthony Hopkins. Next to Treeves we pity Merrick, respect him, pity him again, and then ask ourselves with him, 'is he just a spectacle to me? Am I a bad person?'...
  Lynch certainly doesn't let us bypass this question easily. Are we bad people for being intrigued or are we good people for pitying? Certainly there is a mix of intrigue and pity with every character who first meets John, and we are not excluded. However, as with almost every character who truly comes to know John and confer with him, we learn to respect him as a human being and not as a spectacle. Nonetheless, this issue never finds close in the film, nor do I feel it ever can be closed in actual life. Hopkin's Treeves is never fully sated in how he feels about this dilemma, and so, neither can we be.
  
  ''People are frightened by what they don't understand.''
  
  Technically, The Elephant Man is a beautifully shot piece. In crisp black and white, the film recalls the cinematic technique of American cinema circa the 1930s. The scenes dissolve into one another; there is no brisk editing. The lighting is kept low-key during dark scenes, balanced during daytime scenes-this is standard film-making of the era. The one digression from this form are the distinctly Lynchian surrealities-pseudo-dream-sequences of commendably original imagery that break up the film and serve as distinct mood-setters for the audience. These are, for the most part, fairly intimidating side-notes. We as an audience are caught off-guard because in these tangents we are not identifying with Treeves, we are put instead into Merrick's shoes. It is unsettling.
  
  But Lynch has never been a director to flinch at unsettling prospects. We must watch Merrick beaten, abused, harassed, humiliated, and tormented. We may feel a surge of happiness when he finally stands up for himself, but by that point we still have to cope with what we've already, what he's already, experienced. I suppose that is the greatest and most devastating aspect of the film-empathy. Every moment is heartbreaking. Yet no matter how hard it gets, and how much better it then turns, there is always the threat of another jab. And those jabs only get more and more painful.
  
  The Elephant Man is a perfect film. It is sorrowful but it doesn't apologize for what it is. It is a film about where our empathy stems from, a film that asks you to feel sorry for it's victim but rebukes you for your blind pity. It asks you to respect Merrick, not cry for him, alas you cry anyway. The Elephant Man is a film that treks you through despair and asks for your hope in the end. It asks you to hate humanity but to love the humane. It asks you to look at a man who appears sad and know that inside, he's righteous, he has a soul.
  
  ''Never. Oh, never. Nothing will die. The stream flows, the wind blows, the cloud fleets, the heart beats. Nothing will die.''

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• 
  
  September 18, 2009

  SirPant

  David Lynch is one of the only directors working today who really understands black and white photography. It's not been this good since Eraserhead, again directed by Lynch. John Hurt is fantastic as Merrick, in this sad and true story of a disfigured man! It is a brilliant film.

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• 
  
  May 28, 2009

  ohagankieran

  If one was to turn on David Lynch's The Elephant Man midway through, without knowing what it was, one might be startled at the appearance of the main character. One might even be tempted to make fun of the character. But if one was to watch the film from the beginning, one's symp...( read more)athy with John Merrick (John Hurt), 'The Elephant Man,' would be strong enough to deny that the former situation was ever a possibility. Lynch does not allow his audience to glimpse Merrick sans mask until his appearance has been built up substantially. When we the audience are at our zenith of anticipation, we see him-no dramatic music, no slow motion; a simple cut and he's there. There he is. And it's no big deal.
  
  This is the beauty of Lynch's direction. We are led through our morbid curiosity at the same rate the characters in the film are. We develop alongside them. More specifically, we develop alongside Frederick Treeves, played with an astounding sublimity of emotion by Anthony Hopkins. Next to Treeves we pity Merrick, respect him, pity him again, and then ask ourselves with him, 'is he just a spectacle to me? Am I a bad person?'
  
  Lynch certainly doesn't let us bypass this question easily. Are we bad people for being intrigued or are we good people for pitying? Certainly there is a mix of intrigue and pity with every character who first meets John, and we are not excluded. However, as with almost every character who truly comes to know John and confer with him, we learn to respect him as a human being and not as a spectacle. Nonetheless, this issue never finds close in the film, nor do I feel it ever can be closed in actual life. Hopkin's Treeves is never fully sated in how he feels about this dilemma, and so, neither can we be.
  
  Technically, The Elephant Man is a beautifully shot film. In crisp black and white, the film recalls the cinematic technique of American cinema circa the 1930's. The scenes dissolve into one another; there is no brisk editing. The lighting is kept low-key during dark scenes, balanced during daytime scenes-this is standard film-making of the era. The one digression from this form are the distinctly Lynchian surrealities-pseudo-dream-sequences of commendably original imagery that break up the film and serve as distinct mood-setters for the audience. These are, for the most part, fairly intimidating sidenotes. We as an audience are caught off-guard because in these tangents we are not identifying with Treeves, we are put instead into Merrick's shoes. It is unsettling.
  
  But Lynch has never been a director to flinch at unsettling prospects. We must watch Merrick beaten, abused, harassed, humiliated, and tormented. We may feel a surge of happiness when he finally stands up for himself, but by that point we still have to cope with what we've already, what he's already, experienced. I suppose that is the greatest and most devastating aspect of the film-empathy. Every moment is heartbreaking. Yet no matter how hard it gets, and how much better it then turns, there is always the threat of another jab. And those jabs only get more and more painful.
  
  The Elephant Man is a perfect film. It is sorrowful but it apologizes not at all for it. It is a film about where our empathy stems from, a film that asks you to feel sorry but rebukes you for your blind pity. It asks you to respect Merrick, not cry for him. But you can't help crying. The Elephant Man is a film that treks you through despair and asks for your hope in the end. It asks you to hate humanity but to love the humane. It asks you to look at a man who appears sad and know that inside, he's okay.

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• 
  
  January 2, 2009

  SilentWarProductions2009

  Directed by: David Lynch.
  Starring: John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Freddie Jones.
  
  <<"Never. Oh, never. Nothing will die. The stream flows, the wind blows, the cloud fleets, the heart beats. Nothing will die."...( read more)>>
  
  The story, based on the true story of Joseph Merrick, follows an Englishman born with a horrible disfigurement and risen as a freak in the circus. A Victorian surgeon by the name of Fredrick Treves takes him away from the life he has endured and treats him with care and soon realize that he is a very pure soul.
  
  I'm still in a state of shock after seeing this film for the first time merely hours ago and I still wonder how I passed this film for so many years.
  
  Every level of this masterpiece is spectacular in every way. David Lynch's direction is a work of art. Such beautiful detail and a incredible understanding of the drama that inflicts this character, its a beautiful transition from paper to film.
  
  The screenplay builds itself around this character strongly and never exploits his condition in the slightest. The brilliant thing about it is that its so genuine in everything it aims for and it is such a intricate human study so full of pure emotion...I am glad to say that the film bought me to tears many times during the film, its such a pure character.
  
  Pasted on top of some exquisite cinematography and brilliant set design is the a collection of powerful performances. Anthony Hopkins really is an astonishing actor and he handles his character brilliantly and alongside some very good smaller performances is John Hurts spectacular portrayal of John Merrick. Even underneath the groundbreaking make-up, he radiates and pushes through a pure soul of a man, such a masterful performance and it would have taken the Oscar had it not been for one other brilliant performance that year.
  
  Never a sentimental film, The Elephant Man is a genuinely rich and emotional study of a beautiful soul plagued with a horrible disfigurement. Vividly stylish and powerfully rich, The Elephant Man is a dramatic masterpiece.
  
  

  87/100
  
  << "I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being...I am a man!" >>

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• 
  
  December 13, 2008

  McKittrick

  One day I will write a review for The Elephant Man that will come close to expressing my true feelings (my love for this masterpiece of cinema leaves me speechless at the best of times).
  Through astonishing cinematography (by Freddie Francis) and quite subtle sound effects (Lync...( read more)h's usually surreal use of sound makes perfect sense here), the vile gothic atmosphere permeates every scene to the point that we can almost taste the metalic filth and grease of the Industrial Revolution. This is possibly the greatest cinematic evocation of the Victorian age.
  The story of Joseph Merrick (incorrectly called John for the film!) is a great one in itself and it would have been easy to render things mawkish and cloying. The Elephant Man is neither. Lynch does veer closely to over sentimentalising Merrick's story and plays free with the facts as well as being rather pick&mix about who were the heroes and villains that Merrick came into contact with (for example Frederick Treves was less of a hero than he is portrayed here and Merrick was less of a victim). But this is still meant to be a piece of cinema and dramatic license is expected. So that through a mixture of fact and fancy we do get some measure of the kind, clever, sophisticated and yes, even beautiful man who had to live his (very short) life trapped inside a prison of deformed flesh and bone. A man of great dignity, compassion and generosity of spirit (many of those privileged to have met him were incredibly moved and felt more than a little humbled). Lynch has also been criticised for treating Merrick as much a freak as he was when he was alive. For example, the pre-publicity of making a big secret of the make-up lasted right into the film, as the audience is teased with holding back 'the big reveal' (similar to how Spielberg gave us E.T!). But that is just another part of the film's greatness - Lynch baits us into anticipation and horror. Then daring us to squirm and feel revulsion, to snigger and poke sticks through the cage. So that when we are given Joseph Merrick - the man, we feel shame. And so we should! Lynch makes it perfectly clear that we are still very much the baying audience of the Victorian freak show!
  
  "Tis true my form is something odd,
  But blaming me is blaming God;
  Could I create myself anew
  I would not fail in pleasing you.
  
  "If I could reach from pole to pole
  Or grasp the ocean with a span,
  I would be measured by the soul;
  The mind's the standard of the man."

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• 
  
  November 21, 2009

  Phonex

  The black and white film style gives an authentically historical feeling to this film which is set in the Victorian era.

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• 
  
  November 20, 2009

  Sebdinovitch

  Absolutely great movie, plus it was so sad, It really was one of the saddest film I've ever seen... John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins are exceptional. I don't know h-o-w people could see those types of "shows".

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• 
  
  November 20, 2009

  Yelverton

  Great, great movie. You should definitely watch it.

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• 
  
  November 13, 2009

  jackgbowman

  David lynch on the map- milestone picture for him and Anthony Hopkins

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• 
  
  November 2, 2009

  caiojeremy

  Eu esperava mais emoção de "The Elephant Man".

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View more The Elephant Man reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

• 
  July 31, 2007

  sunkingpoet

  I watched this film many, many years ago, and I still recall all of the emotions it bombarded me with even then. An amazing piece of cinematography and a Hell of a story about a piece of mankind's medical history.
• 
  March 2, 2007

  zijiamonkey

  Erlack

• Anthony Hopkins
• John Hurt
• Anne Bancroft
• John Gielgud
• Wendy Hiller
• Freddie Jones
• Michael Elphick
• Hannah Gordon
• Helen Ryan

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

• 
  The Hunchback of Notre Dame (100%)
• 
  Children of a Lesser God (67%)
• 
  Phenomena (Creepers) (100%)
• 
  One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest (73%)

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• Mel Brooks helped produced this film, but kept his name out of the credits for fear that if they were included, the film would not be taken seriously.   Answer »
• Which movie has this tagline : " I am not an animal! I am a human being! I...am...a man! " ?  Answer »
• What 1980 film had this quote : I am not an animal. I am A human Being. I... am....a...man ?  Answer »
• Which movie contains the immortal lines "I am not an animal. I am a human being"  Answer »

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