What a sweetheart.

Rating: 9/10 (17 January 2019)

Honestly, some of the most amazing acting you'll ever come across. Filmed totally in black & white for the purposes of Victorian, industrial age atmosphere.
The strongest emotion I take away from this film is a sense of sincere endearment for John Merrick. On the outside he's nothing but a monster, but on the inside he's the sweetest, dearest and humblest person you could ever hope to meet. He's foolhardy, joyous, imaginative and grateful, and none of the things you'd expect him to have become after a life of such abuse and humiliation. No bitterness, anger, or the need to exact revenge, but a pure heart who's thankful for what his life has become, and to have found true companionship and friendship.
The way the film juxtaposes a scene in which John Merrick re-enacts a high society event, pompously cradling a luxurious walking cane and cigarette in his hands, with the contents of a 'beauty' and perfume set strewn across the bed, followed by the intrusion of the contents of the entire after-hours pub scene just for the sake of a nightmarish look and a laugh at Merrick's extreme expense, emphasises the brilliance of this film in presenting the horrific rags to riches life experience of such an innocent man living in the shell of hell itself.