**** out of ****

Rating: 9/10 (2 September 2002)

Story of the life of John Merrick (John Hurt), a man suffering from extreme deformities in 19th century England. He is taken by a doctor (Anthony Hopkins) to a hospital, where it is discovered that he is an intelligent human being. Beautifully shot, with two of the best performances of the decade by Hopkins and Hurt, this movie is a true masterpiece, managing to be moving without being sappy, and offering a message about human nature without being too heavy handed.