Any biographical inaccuracies far, far less significant than its symbolic impact

Rating: 10/10 (1 December 2012)

I had known about THE ELEPHANT MAN since childhood and been told how touching the film was, but with so many supposedly good and "touching" movies to check out, it was only after I found it mentioned in Marlon Brando's autobiography (of all places) that I decided to see for myself, at 16 years of age. To say that I was touched is accurate, but really too mild; a film has never, ever forced me to cry so hard as David Lynch's interpretation of the life of this unfortunate human being. When I watched it for the first time as a teenager, there were instances when I literally could not see what was going on, as my eyes were too filled with tearsand if I ever believed, in retrospect, this reaction to have been the result of being at a more "tender" age while watching, a more recent re-viewing of the film must now put that possibility to rest. It remains completely haunting, both so ugly and so beautiful that repeated visits should be regarded as obligatory, yet it is very hard on the soul and the stomach to sit through it more than once in several years.
More than just a biographical film that covers the essential story of Merrick "The Elephant Man," Lynch's film is so vehemently sensitive in its depiction of Merrick that his life serves to function here also on a more allegorical level. This is worth pointing out particularly due to some viewers' objection that the film is not factually reliable. It may be so that Merrick's first name was not John, as in the film, but Joseph; also, actual reports suggest that Merrick was far more severely abused by his family than during his engagements as a "curiosity performer." However, in order to provide THE ELEPHANT MAN with more than some provincial interest, and make the issues it covers relevant (and, of course, narratively interesting) to a wider audience, to focus on undisputed facts throughout would have been a mistake, in my opinion. The pain which Merrick must have felt, his sweet and gentle personality made forever invisible to others due to the body that happened to contain it, cannot be diminished in any case; even though he was not truly haunted by a "master" who whipped him regularly. The film adopts a rather stylistic approach, which in my opinion justifies most inaccuracies and exaggerations; had the film pretended to be a more realistic piece, I might have felt a bit differently, but such is not the case.
One could make the case that a story such as that of "The Elephant Man" is hard not to make touching somehow, but even so, the fact that I still cry at the film so my lungs hurt is in no small part due to the efforts of several talents involved. Lynch's portrayal of the grimmest aspects of Victorian-era London is exceptional, the dirtiness of its streets emphasized further by the black-and-white cinematography. I've yet to discover any film adaptation of Dickens feel so Dickensian as the sets and environment seen here. Upon watching the film again more recently, it also struck me how the ethics of demotic entertainment business in 19th-century England is indirectly being addressed through Merrick, and thus contradicts with how joyful 'n merry the era of music hall is often remembered in other retrospective depictions. First and foremost, however, John Hurt deserves all possible praise as Merrick. It's easy to suspect his role to have been a painless task, given that he's hidden beneath tons of make-up which is apt to have done much of the performance for him. However, while one undoubtedly would have felt sympathy to Merrick's story regardless of how the role was performed in the film, to make him come alive as a character, and make the viewer intrigued by him also for who he is underneath the skin, something special is required for. Hurt's sensitivity shines through in every gesture, and I found myself wanting so often to give Mr. Merrick one big, big hug. Also at hand is a strong supporting cast, including Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Frederick Treves. If there is a "message" to be found in David Lynch's THE ELEPHANT MAN it may indeed be a simple one, but rarely if ever has it been expressed with such vigor.