An incredible effort but not for everyone

Rating: Null/10 (30 August 2018)

David Lynch is a tough act to get into and The Elephant Man is perhaps his most mainstream work. But even a mainstream Lynch film is abstract and The Elephant Man- based on the true story of John Merrick is filled with imagery and allegories that might bore the watcher. Make no mistake- this is a good movie and the performance of John Hurt as the titular character is so good I think it's a joke he did not win an academy award for it. Hauntingly photographed and well acted by everyone from Anthony Hopkins to Anne Bankcroft this is an artistic film and needs a certain mindset to be viewed.