Keep The Tissues Handy!

Rating: 9/10 (2 July 2014)

The Elephant Man is truly a moving story that is earnest and throughout the film, it makes the point that humans are not animals, no matter the dysfunctions or handicaps. In the case of John Merrick, he is revolting to look at because of an terrible accident, but he makes clear to all the people wanting to use him or gape at him, he is a human just like the rest of them. No matter who you are, it will be impossible not to cry at some point. That's how emotionally-affecting this film is.
Directed by David Lynch, this is one of his more conventional films, but the subject matter is still very intense. This film is about a surgeon at a London hospital named Frederick Treves who discovers a "freak" named John Merrick and he rescues Merrick from a freakshow, thus allowing Merrick to live at the hospital and have a life of his own.
The acting is excellent. John Hurt delivers a stirring performance as Merrick. I was not able to recognize underneath all that makeup, but he delivers a tour de force performance. Anthony Hopkins also does a really good job as the first man to have truly shown Merrick kindness.
Overall, The Elephant Man is a film that believe that all people should be treated equally, no matter what he or she looks like. From a technical standpoint, this film is excellent. I liked how it was filmed in black and white because it captures the essence of the Victorian era. A really emotional film and while it's really sad, there are glimmers of hope here shown by Merrick. This is very fine filmmaking. I rate this film 9/10.