A Disabled Being with Humble Value

Rating: 8/10 (25 January 2020)

When it comes to biopics on the disabled, they can more often than not be used to display sympathetic narratives to make one feel guilty for their subject at hand. Sometimes they can be overly sentimental, but in the case of The Elephant Man, it's more than just that. This film is not only sincere in how it tackles its subject's life of prejudice and deformity, but also in terms of how any act of good will can overcome the harshest obstacles in life.
The film follows the tale of John Merrick, a 19th century English man who was struck with a severe body deformity at birth, thus living as a circus freak and being bombarded with cruelty from people. Soon, a medic named Frederick Treves rescues John from his inhumane conditions to make him more accustomed to a better life, in spite of other people's prejudice. What makes John Merrick such a charming character is that underneath his rotten outer shell is a benevolent intellect who only wishes to share the same amount of respect as any other being on Earth. In addition, Anthony Hopkins effecting presents Treves as cautious in regards to whether or not he is really helping out Merrick or not and John Hurt does a phenomenal job emoting through the deformed face in order to believably present his character as tortured yet delighted by his fascinations in life, no matter how small they may be.
As this film was directed by the abstract horror legend David Lynch, the film looks appropriately gloomy and dry given the classic Victorian environment. The choice to shoot the movie in black & white not only makes Christopher Tucker's frightening makeup look remarkably appealing, but it also recreates an almost German expressionist approach with subtle grays and cast shadows, though with less bluntness in the more calm moments. Some sequences are also told strictly through the visuals and sound design, and they manage to communicate the purpose and effectiveness in the narrative without coming off as distorted. Also, despite being more well known for his collaborations with Mel Brooks, composer John Morris lets his broken lullaby score practically paints the insecurities of the unfortunately morbid victim who has no real desire in life other than living as a human being, not as an animal.
To some, The Elephant Man is a depressing cautionary tale about how hard it is for humans to accept others. To others though, it is a harmonious and inspiring story of a remarkable individual whose one wish is to live among the people normally. It's the heartfelt tenderness from those who care that can really make a difference to those of unfortunate circumstances, making this film a timeless venture through tragedy and emotional resonance.