One of Lynch's Most Mainstream Films Is Also One of His Best

Rating: 10/10 (5 December 2007)

This lacerating film about John Merrick, a man in 19th century England who suffered from a terrible physical deformity and was treated as a circus sideshow by a public who did not understand his condition, proves that David Lynch is as adept at mainstream, linear storytelling as he is at putting miraculous fever dreams on the screen. I experienced "The Elephant Man" as something physical; my heart literally ached while watching this profoundly sad yet oddly exhilarating film.
People may not think of Lynch as an especially emotional director; his experimental approach at film-making may leave some feeling detached. But the more I see of his films, the more I come to appreciate that all of his films have a strong emotional core to them, so it doesn't surprise me that he would do so well with this story. He films in beautiful black and white, which gives the film an old-fashioned look that feels right for its time period and subject matter, and he makes use of a brilliant musical score. All of the actors are terrific, but especially John Hurt, who is able to act through heaps of prosthetic makeup (the actor himself is completely unrecognizable), to deliver a powerhouse performance. I defy even the most cold-hearted cinephile to watch his final scene and not have to sniffle back at least a tear or two.
What a wonderful, wonderful movie.
Grade: A+