Let's talk about the Elephant Man in the room

Rating: 9/10 (21 February 2013)

'I'm not a animal, I'm a human being!' screams out John Merrick surrounded by a crowd looking at his face at the train station. One of the most powerful lines in movie history was born and it's just heartbreaking to watch. The onlookers, so stifled by the conformity of their Victorian age, gather around in their top hats and well trimmed mustaches for a rare glimpse of "abnormality" that evaded the circus, the hospital and the madhouse. The prudish judges of normality are still everywhere even today, judging by and how some people still look down on deformities. John Merrick was human, and not only that a truly great intelligent man. The movie starts out with London surgeon Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins) discovers John Merrick (John Hurt) in at freak show where he is managed by a brutal man by the name of Bytes. Frederick Treves tries to help the man, with not only his condition, but also to escape from the exploitations of Bytes. On the way, Merrick is both love and look upon by the public. Merrick is so deformed to the point that he must wear a hood and cap when in public due to Merrick's most life-threatening deformity, his abnormally large skull, which compels him to sleep with his head resting upon his knees, as the weight of his skull would asphyxiate him if he were to ever lie down. John Merrick tries everything to try to be normal. He talks in a sophisticated and articulate matter, he appears at operas, does art, reads, makes model and every looking for true happiness. Directed by one of the greatest directors, David Lynch, the movie works in every level. The black and white gives the film, its serious tone, while also giving the film, it's creepiest. The dream like scenes are chilling reminds me of his work on 'Eraserhead'. As clichéd as it might sound, about an hour into the movie, I didn't even really notice Joseph's deformities. At first, I was somewhat intimidated, but after a while, I focused more on who he was as a person and David Lynch makes you see him more like a human being by giving him depth. It would have been an astonishing act if the writers decided to show the true reaction of complete submission and self degradation of the Elephant-Man. I think David Lynch could have easily directed this alternative twist as well. The music of the film is ground-breaking. Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber or Andre Previn gives the movie, its tragedy ending, while the theme song composed by John Morris gives the film, it's haunting score. The Victorian sets are has never looked so convincing on screen, yet with that nightmarish quality that defines most of the movie. Anthony Hopkin are well-acted, but I have to give it to John Hurt, You could only see his eyes behind the layers of makeup, but those expressive eyes does a masterful job in creating a sympathetic character out of a man who is at first glance a monster. I think "Elephant Man" not getting an award lead to the creation of the annual award for best makeup. Prior, makeup awards were given rarely, I believe. Just on special occasions. But when "Elephant Man" didn't get any nods for it, people rightfully complained and the academy then created the annual makeup award the next year. Still, the movie has it faults, first off John Merrick is really Joseph Merrick in real life. Dr. Treves' reminiscences mistakenly names Joseph Merrick as John Merrick, an error widely recirculated by biographers of Merrick. The film was based on Treves memoirs, and in them he crosses out ''Joseph'' and writes in ''John'' above - hence the confusion. No one knows the reason for the ''deliberate mistake'', because everyone knew Joseph was called Joseph, plus its written on his birth certificate,and he signed his only surviving letter ''Joseph Merrick'. There are many things that did not actually happen in the movie. Such as the beatings from Tom Norman AKA Bytes who treated Joseph Merrick with great care and respect in reality. Why would they beat him if they are making a lot of money off of him? We are also to believe that Joseph's mother never did love him in the film, in true, he was rejected by his father and stepmother, not his mother. John suffered from a rare, degenerative and progressive disease (Proteus Syndrome, I believe), and Merrick told Norman that he no longer wanted to be examined at the hospital. According to Norman, he said he was "stripped naked, and felt like an animal in a cattle market' by Treves. So there is a lot of information that is left out. Period films are hard to pull off convincingly and here we are plunged into this utterly alien world but the story is never depressing nor preachy. Still poignant , deep,﻿perfect illustration of human flaws and human kindness. Such a gentle soul filled with deep inner beauty and not a mean bone in his body despite all of the painful horrors inflicted on him by a so called civilized society. There is a lesson to be learned about the dignity this one of a kind man maintained in a world that judged him on the texture of his outward appearance such so that he went through life with his head held up high even when he was sleeping. Bless you Joseph Merrick your inner beauty trumped all.