Touching

Rating: Null/10 (15 September 1999)

David Lynch has an fascinating track record - "Blue Velvet" is a good example. It is truly a remarkably interesting film, with lots of things to say, and yet it is vaguely repellant. Not, as is pointed out in Lynch's excellent "The Elephant Man", for "women or nervous persons". Interesting, then, that Lynch should choose a subject that mirrors most of his films almost exactly.
The film tells the real-life story of John Merrick, born with a deformity that most people treat as something to ridicule, profit from, or be terrified of. He is rescued by young surgeon Frederick Treves, who sets about rehabilitating him, much to the interest of Victorian-era London society, and the anger and contempt of certain members of the hospital board. In addition, we see Bytes, the man who has been exhibiting Merrick in his freak shows, and many people who want to meet him (for a number of reasons). All of this provides an interesting backdrop to the rise and decline of an extraordinary young man.
The film is shot entirely in black and white, and the attention to Victorian era detail is marvellous to behold: great quantities of steam, many gaslights, the costumes are perfect and even the accents have a plausible Victorian lilt to them. Without resorting to obviously faked running scratches on the film itself, the period is clearly and brilliantly set. Similarly, the lighting and cinematography is meticulously crafted. A special mention must also go to John Morris, who composed the score. Without being too intrusive or distracting, the music gently accents the beauty that the film has to offer, and conveys a sense of wonder at the appropriate moments.
It must be pointed out, however, that the film progresses far too slowly in places, and a substantial part of the responsibility for this must go to Lynch for his fanciful dream-like sequences and unnecessary shots of (exquisite, certainly) sets. It can be argued that we learn a lot of Merrick's history and the era in which the film is set through these sequences, but the acting, effects, screenplay and directorial talent elsewhere do more than enough to convey this, and the rest of it just comes across as inconsequential episodes which weigh the rest of the film down.
All actors and actresses imbue their characters with the dignity, helplessness, terror or aggression that they require. Freddie Jones is excellent as the pathetic yet frightening Bytes: it is refreshing to see a character portrayed so well with a dual sense of helplessness and power. Similarly, John Hurt does a marvellous job as John Merrick - especially beneath the weight and restrictive nature of Christopher Tucker's spectacular make-up. He manages to give Merrick a very real sense of dignity and humanity (surely the point of the film), and it is very possible to see the pain and humiliation in his eyes at certain points, a well-nigh-on impossible task given the nature of the make-up. Hopkins is good as Treves, (although it is not his finest hour), and the performances from Anne Bancroft and Hannah Gordon are also very well done.
To conclude, "The Elephant Man" is a very touching and moving film, in turns fascinating and upsetting, but certainly overblown in places. If you can get past these minor quibbles, however, "The Elephant Man" is definitely a good film to watch, with much more to say than the average blockbuster.