Troubling and moving

Rating: 7/10 (30 August 2003)

"The Elephant Man" has its faults(historical inaccuracies, at times overly sentimental), but it is one of those films where the good things manage to outweigh the bad . The excellent acting(esp. by John Hurt in the title role), inventive cinematography and an emotionally involving story would be the good things. Indeed, there were moments during the film when I was nearly moved to tears; the vision it presents is of a gentle, intelligent man who is ostracized and abused because of his appearance, and his struggle for dignity had me mesmerized. "The Elephant Man" may have flaws, but it is never the less a troubling, moving film that shows how hideous humanity can be--and how beautiful.