Excellent Film

Rating: 9/10 (10 January 2011)

The Elephant man is a very good movie. I would definitely recommend it. It is an artistic film, which may turn off some viewers unfortunately. It is a surreal film. Sections of it are dream-like, but they are also imaginative and captivating. David Lynch, the director, is well-known for this style. He is an imaginative director, who incorporates the surreal into his films. He is my favorite director, and this is one of his best works.
The Elephant Man is an engaging movie. It is sad, but it is also moving. The Elephant Man is a little slow-paced, but it really integrates the viewer into the story. It is about a man named John Merrick, referred to as the Elephant Man. John Merrick is disfigured. His has a misshapen head, and face. He is unable to talk, and has trouble sleeping because of his condition. He is also frequently sick.
John Merrick is in a circus. The circus profits of his disease, while John Merrick suffers because of it. John Merrick is constantly put through the humiliation of being gawked at by crowds at the circus. People marvel at him, and are horrified by his physical appearance. You really understand what he is being put through, and you really feel sorry for him.
John Merrick has to wrap cloth around his face when he is in public. People are shocked when they seem him. He is not accepted by society, or sympathized with. He is instead ostracized and ridiculed as a freak. This film has a lot to say about humanity. It really exemplifies the fact that humans can be savage and cruel.
John Merrick has been used and mistreated by nearly everyone he has ever known. There is no known cure or treatment for his condition. Doctors are really not much help. Nobody ever seems to have given him much love, or showed him any hope. He has just been exploited by humanity his whole life. But one day everything changes. He meets a man, a doctor, who decides to take on the challenge of helping him. This man is a very good doctor who has a lot of character.
He feels sympathy for John Merrick, and is dedicated to helping him. He spends a lot of time with him, and slowly gets him to feel better. John Merrick never really talked his whole life. His disease prevented him from talking. But his doctor, through great patience and determination, teaches him how to speak. This doctor is the only man who ever believed in John Merrick. He gradually gets him to learn English. He also is able to improve his immunity and reduces symptoms of the disease.
This doctor changed John Merrick's life. He not only healed him physically, but he mended John's broken spirit. Before, John lived a life devoid of happiness, but instead filled with pain. The doctor gave him something to live for. He is also responsible for discovering that John is a sensitive and intelligent man, and an exceptionally kind person.
This film is a testament to the fact that humans can be harsh and unmerciful. Humans are generally not that accepting of people like the Elephant Man. People can be scornful of others who are different, whether that difference be physical, or personal. But among that majority there is a minority of people that are capable of great kindness and compassion towards others. I think we should all try to aspire to the dedication and the kindness of the doctor in this movie. The doctor in the Elephant Man is one of those special people who have the ability to aid those who are needed, even when no one else can.
The Elephant Man is a strange movie. It is not your typical pop corn flick you get now. There are still good contemporary films, but many of them lack originality. Today a lot of films were clearly made to try and please crowds, so they won't be flops at the box office. Filmaking is too much of a business today, and not enough of an art. However, movies like The Elephant Man, show the craft, the intelligence, and the artistry of film.