Very, very moving. Very good film.

Rating: 9/10 (8 July 2007)

"The Elephant Man" is easily the most emotionally moving film I have ever seen. I try to not take for granted all the fortune in my life. This film really made me realize how happy I should be. I should be incredibly blissful, every single damn day of my life. I should wake up and realize how fortunate I am compared to the rest of the world.
And I don't say this to show off. I say this because its completely necessary for us more fortunate than others to never, NEVER take for granted every single, wonderful thing we have.
Some people can work towards being fortunate, others can not.
The Elephant Man can't. John Merrick is a very deformed human being. Let's say that in this case human beings are defined by how well they live their lives given their limitations, how they treat others, how they behave...etc. In that case, John Merrick is a human being in every sense of the word.
But he is treated like a freak, a clown, a toy used for the benefit and entertainment of others. And that is sick. The thing that is so heartbreaking about this film is the fact that is based off a book, a true story. Even though the story has probably been a bit tweaked, the fact that there was once a man named John Merrick who was deformed and was probably treated unkindly and even sickly is disturbing.
We make fun of mentally retarded people today. We make fun of people who look or act strange. Is this human nature? I suppose so...but can we really call it human? The human race doesn't consist of all bad people...not at all. We have people working in charities, donating money, trying to find cures for terrible diseases. We aren't all bad. But please, realize that if you are a well bodied, adept human being, don't take for granted that their are many out their who are less fortunate, and can't do anything about it.
This film changed my life.
9/10