The Elephant Man

Rating: 10/10 (13 July 2005)

I remember seeing this during my time at college, and when I got the chance to see it again, that was when I realised what a masterpiece it truly is, from Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated director David Lynch (Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive). The film opens with a flashy scene seeing a (pregnant) woman being attacked by an elephant, before it moves to the main time of 19th Century, Victorian London, England. Dr. Frederick 'Freddie' Treves (Sir Anthony Hopkins) is exploring the urban carnival freak show, and he pays owner Bytes (Freddie Jones) for a private viewing of the most hideous of all of his "creatures", known only as 'The Elephant Man'. He pays him also to allow him to examine him for the Pathological Society, and after returning back to Bytes, being beaten severely and suffering bronchitis, Treves takes him back to be treated in the hospital. Knwoing his true name, John Merrick (BAFTA winning, and Oscar and Golden Globe nominated John Hurt), Treves finds out slowly that he does not need to learn to speak, he is already able to read, write and speak already, he was just afraid. Merrick's tragic condition of deformity is caused by 14 overgrown tumours on his body, face and hands, and he can only sleep sitting up or he will die suffocating from the weight of his head. Most of the hospital staff, including Governor Carr Gomm (Sir John Gielgud) and matron Mothershead (Wendy Hiller), accept him being a permanent patient, and slowly Treves introduces John to London society. The starts with a meeting with Mrs. Treves (Hannah Gordon), and the local newspaper report allows John to meet famous stage actress Madge Kendal (Anne Bancroft). Then one night, the greedy Night porter (Michael Elphick) has many drunk people paying him to see the freak, and amongst the people is Bytes who kidnaps John taking him to France. So once again, sick and neglected, John is put on show as The Elephant Man, but Bytes' son (a very young Snatch's Dexter Fletcher) and the other carnival performers release him. John is happy to return to the safety of the hospital with Treves, and they both know John doesn't have long to live, so they go to the theatre where Mrs. Kendal dedicates the performance to him. The final scene sees John's finished castle model, before he discards all the pillows to sleep lying down where he dies and his Mother (Phoebe Nicholls) welcomes him into Heaven. Also starring Helen Ryan as Princess Alex and Star Wars' Kenny Baker (R2-D2) as Plumed Dwarf. With reliable and magnificent British talent like Hopkins, Bancroft and Gielgud you can't go wrong, but this film obviously belongs to the superb and unrecognisable (apart from the voice and eyes) Hurt. Lynch makes sure that this biographical drama pulls at all your heart strings, with the great atmospheric music, great special effects make-up, and even the black and white colour adds something, it is one of the only films I know that makes you feel sympathy for a (real) character the whole way through, that's what makes it a masterpiece. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Music for John Morris, Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium and Best Picture, it won the BAFTAs for Best Film and Best Production Design/Art Direction, and it was nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Screenplay, and it was nominated the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture - Drama and Best Screenplay. Sir Anthony Hopkins was number 7 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, John Hurt was number 27, and Hopkins number 1 on The 50 Greatest British Actors, Hopkins was also number 1 on Britain's Finest Actors, and he was number 3 on The World's Greatest Actor, and the film was number 25 on The 100 Greatest Tearjerkers. Outstanding!