Great performance by Anthony Hopkins

Rating: 9/10 (6 July 2007)

The scene where Hopkins' character first sees Merrick just takes my breath away. It is one of the most moving scenes I have ever seen, like the final scene of Chaplin's "City Lights."
I like Lynch's more "straight" movies, like this one and The Straight Story. This one is a tear-jerker. The layers of extreme contrasts in this movie make quite a strong impression on the psyche. For example the contrast between the gentleness and beauty of Merrick's soul and his horrendous appearance. The contrast between the kindness of Hopkins' character and the cruelty of some others. By the end you are wrung out. I believe Merrick is in heaven, in bliss and free from deformity. In the movie he quotes scripture flawlessly and I believe we are being led to think about that.
Once I saw a computer generated face of how Merrick would have looked had he not had his disease. It's worth Googling.