a priceless gem...

Rating: 10/10 (16 May 2007)

Definitely an exquisite piece of cinema, one of the most harrowing, engrossing and poignant movies in motion picture history. No gargantuan budgets, no Hollywood hotshots, no special effects, no violence, no sex, no long-legged chicks, even no colors!. This is PURE CINEMA where both elegance and substance are blended into a perfect mixture of intensity and integrity.
It is beautifully shot black & white on purpose. Although filming B&W was very expensive process at that time, it was a right choice by director David Lynch and producer Mell Brooks because it fitted perfectly with the eerie mood and sinister ambiance of the story.
Visually it drags the viewer into dark, gray, filthy, haunting and suffocating PHANTASMAGORIA of INDUSTRIAL WORLD where cruelty and self-interest overwhelm kindness and compassion. Soggy streets, foggy alleys, smoky steel mills, and crummy crowds are all the elements of Lynch's SYMBOLISM used to portray very sharply the psychological turmoil of John Merrick - a physically plagued & horribly abused soul with massive deformities throughout his body  while being constantly bombarded with inhumane indecencies. So, this is the story of that hapless and hopeless man's arduous journey to return in humanity and dignity in a world full of real freaks and two-footed beasts. Highly recommended...