About monsters and someone with a human soul

Rating: 9/10 (7 July 2012)

"The Elephant Man" is not your typical eccentric brainy David Lynch flick, but it was the one that really launched his career as one of the most important filmmakers of today. It is also one of Lynch's most accessible films - realism and story go first. This highly commendable effort results in a very unusual biopic, following the true story of John (originally Joseph) Merrick, who lived in Victorian England of the 19th century, severely deformed from birth on. The picture steers a highly emotional course. For one it shows Merrick's life as a human curiosity, exhibited and exploited for his abhorrent looks, with his abnormality being celebrated, his helplessness greeted with violence to make the caged animal obey. Degraded to a mere creature, the abuse is physical and mental. But we also get to learn about a person named John, his other side, as one among others, who earns our respect as every human being does, regardless of race, belief, deformity, or any other prejudices. As with similar films where the horror is not merely a fantasy of its creators (take for instance Tod Browning's "Freaks"), "The Elephant Man" is serious material one cannot recommend enough to watch, as it will undoubtedly leave an impression. The way the soul of John Merrick is carefully unwrapped is just heartbreakingly executed, helped tremendously of course by the endearing performance of John Hurt. Anthony Hopkins as the doctor who harbors the unfortunate Merrick, fully delivers, as do Hannah Gordon, Sir John Gielgud and Anne Bancroft, who complete the supporting cast. There are very few movies out there which can offer you life altering experiences. "The Elephant Man" might be one of them.