A personal victory for anyone who has a disability of any kind.

Rating: 10/10 (24 September 2001)

Terribly sad nevertheless poignant true story of John Merrick (John Hurt), an Englishman who was dubbed "The Elephant Man" because he had Proteus Syndrome, a rare yet series disorder, and how he found help from Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins), a deeply sympathetic London doctor who took Merrick from the degrading control of a mean-spirited freak show owner (Freddie Jones) and showed him to be happy for once in his life. Director David Lynch ("The Straight Story") lets the actors gently embrace their parts with a great deal of respect. Also notable is the camera work by Freddie Francis, which is masterfully shot the old-fashioned way in black and white and the handling of the make-up on the Hurt character. At certain parts of the movie, I was almost shedding tears. "The Elephant Man" is both a treasure and a personal victory for anyone who has a disability of any kind.