Magnificent film

Rating: 9/10 (12 January 2005)

This is a more or less true story, from what I understand. It is the sad story of a man named John Merrick who was horribly deformed by a disease. He spent a large part of his life as a circus or sideshow freak attraction. Shunned by nearly everybody, he was beaten and mistreated in nearly every imaginable way. Merrick is masterfully played by John Hurt. He is eventually discovered and rescued from that awful existence by a physician named Dr. Frederick Treves, played beautifully by Anthony Hopkins. The film deals partly with deformity but also partly with Merrick struggling to regain some sort of identity as a man instead of just a freak. Dr. Treves is a great ally. However, even as a man who can now move among an abbreviated clique of people, Merrick discovers that his disease is still a terrible affliction. That it was produced in black and white adds to the sad ambiance of the film and helps draw powerful emotions out. IMDb users have voted this film a spot in the top 250 films of all time and it certainly belongs to be in that company. This is Director David Lynch's finest work to date. The Elephant Man is a film that has and will continue to stand the test of time.