Taking Merrick in Complete Context

Rating: 8/10 (12 October 2007)

One of the predominant themes the director portrays in this film is in teaching the viewer not to be an "offender for a word." Given the loglinea permanently disfigured man is freed from the debasing life of freak-show entertaining and is given an opportunity to feel and be treated as a human beingthe viewer is taught not to cast unrighteous judgment onto another by not taking offensive of their outward appearance (Merrick's disfigurement). Instead, they are generously taught to embrace the inward appearance of people, in this case the spirit of John Merrick, and to treat him with just as much respect as a "normal" person would be treated. In short, it is a film that hones in on the importance of observing internal rather than external beauty.
Director David Lynch sets a specific standard by asking the viewer to consider an important idea: Learn to analyze a human life in complete context of who they are before casting judgment. How could this be done? The subtext of the film asks the viewer to seek to understand what they do not understand by asking questions. This means that the viewer should not make poor assumptions of a person based upon their physical appearance, how they might talk, or even how they might dress. A person who superficially judges another based upon these factors conforms to a readerly contextone who judges without analyzing. Contrariwise, Lynch is asking the viewer to be writerlyin other words, choose to see the good in John Merrick, and humanity for that matter, by analyzing and asking questions to the things (i.e. people, films, ideologies) you don't understand.
A general standard I've adopted while watching and critiquing films conforms to Lynch's overall message in this particular film. Just as Lynch suggests that the unexamined life is not worth living, I conclude that the unexamined film is not worth watching. The Elephant Man is a film about choosing not to be offended. My reasons are as follows.
The characters in the film who are offended by Merrick's appearance (i.e. crowds at freak-show, Merrick's owner, nurses, doctor's in training, watch-guard) are the one's who take him out of context of who he really isand who is he really? From the viewer's perspective, Merrick is kind, thoughtful, romantic, intelligent, emotional and sensitive. He is a human beingnot an animal. However, these aspects of his character are ignored by the offended because they refuse to take him in contextin other words, they refuse to see beyond his physical appearance. They do not allow him to express himself. As a result of this rejection, Merrick is confined to a life of fear, misery, disparagement and loneliness.
The viewer, on the other hand, is given the opportunity to see Merrick for everything he is in context. There are several ways the director accomplishes this: First, the viewer is divorced from the animalistic qualities that are unfortunately attributed to Merrick and as a result learn to care deeply for him. How is this done? The director shows the viewer truthful and poignant moments of Merrick's humanity: his love for theater and poetry shows his interests in the arts; his graciousness in accepting gifts from both the doctor (Anthony Hopkins) and the theater actress (Anne Bancroft) shows his cordiality; his ability to recite scripture illustrates his intelligence; and his ability to converse with other human beings demonstrates his cognitive understanding. He is just as real as anybody else.
The only character in the film who chooses to see beyond Merrick's surface is Anthony Hopkins. The most powerful moment in the film that best defines the theme I've suggested is when Hopkins first sees Merrick in his prison cell. Rather than repelling with horror like everyone else, Hopkins completely embraces the sight of Merrick. While doing so, the camera slowly dolly's towards his face, capturing a single tear falling from his eye and down his cheek. It is beautiful! In that one moment alone, the entire theme is summarized: Don't be offended by the outward appearance of what you think is evil; rather, learn to embrace what you don't understand by welcoming fear with loving hands.