The Elephant Man

Rating: Null/10 (12 November 2012)

The Elephant Man succeeds because of, and in spite of, David Lynch's indulgent direction. It's obvious from his body of work that Lynch is very interested in depicting the imagery of the subconscious mind. Whether the Elephant Man's dream sequences deepen our experience of the narrative and/or thematic content of the film—or distract us from it—is debatable. What is certain is that Lynch's artistic decisions and unconventional treatment of the subject matter elevate the film beyond mere melodrama. Anthony Hopkins' performance is noteworthy for its odd combination of quirky sentiment, reflection, and deep, raw, empathetic emotion. John Hurt's physical and mental characterization of the title character is otherworldly (one might say, "Heaven-sent"), and it is very real, and very moving. The Elephant Man is full of surprises that spring from our continual rediscovery of its main character and from his discovery of the infinitely varying reactions of humanity to him. He starts as a side show and rises to become a main attraction. The film, based on the true events of a real man, is dripping with pathos. Although some "emotional" moments border on being overdone, most ring true and evoke strong sympathy for a tortured soul whose heart and mind are as good and fine as his body is disfigured. Though he is the character in the film who least resembles a human being physically, John Merrick is undoubtedly the most human—even more so than the heroic, though motivationally confused, Doctor Frederick Treves, who appears uncomfortable facing emotional situations or expressing emotions of his own. John Merrick is rather obviously a Christ figure; his "it is finished" line towards the end is no accident. Like Christ, the Elephant Man represents the oppressed—those who are misunderstood and mistreated because, on the surface, they appear threatening. From within the film's actual historical context (the 19th century), the misunderstood would have included the mentally ill, as well as the physically deformed: "freaks" of every kind. And even though The Elephant Man reminds us how far we've come at understanding the misunderstood, it also points to how deep our xenophobia can run, and how far we have to go.