The Elephant man (1980)

A poetic, beautiful, sentimental and thrilling masterpiece. And that's just the impression i got from the film within the first 5 minutes. These five minutes had me totally awestruck. And i hadn't even had first glimpse of the face of the so-called 'Elephant man'. The picture of the pregnant woman being knocked down by an elephant; her screams and the elephants slowly mixing- becoming indistinct from one another- showed the true artistry that can be seen (and heard) in film.
(It should be noted that to get the sort of irony of this scene that you watch the movie the whole way through to know just where the inspiration for the opening came from.)

We do not get to see the face of John Merrick (in real life his name was Joseph Merrick but i'm not sure that matters very much) until about a half hour into the movie, and we do not hear him talk for longer. But when he does speak, it is human, this is a man. John Hurts performance as John Merrick is praised for good reason, the make up used was brilliant and realistic and is an absolute marvel (well done make up team!). The black and white was used to great effect, it really fit into the Victorian era in which the movie takes place. Anthony Hopkins is almost unrecognisable (i had only seen him in Silence of The Lambs) as Dr Treeves, the kind man who rescues John from his cruel 'owner.'

The films most famous scene depicts John being surrounded by a curious and fearful mob, lampooning him with torment, questions and making him feel like a caged animal. The same way he was treated before, only this time he knew he was something else. "I am not and animal! i am a human being!" he screams, so clearly, so desperately, so... simply. The high point of the film.

John (or Joseph) was treated as a freak for most of his life, but then came Dr Treeves, who taught him, who brought him out of his shell and who showed everyone that 'The Elephant Man' was a shy, gentle and intelligent human being. Anne Bancroft (as Madge Kendall, a theatre actress) visits John in his hospital room, where they converse and read lines from Romeo and Juliet, this is one of the best moments of the film. Good acting and very natural.

I am now a fan of all those involved with this movie, i don't know how accurate it was, but it was great. This was my first David Lynch (the director) movie, my 4th Anne Bancroft movie (i'd previously seen: Silent Movie, To Be Or not to Be and The Miracle Worker) and my first Hopkins movie, i haven't seen Silence of The lambs the whole way through (too chicken).

I found my self biting my nails throughout, hoping for some kind of magical cure for this 'beast' whom i had come to respect and admire. That is the shear power of this understated masterpiece, it isn't showy or vulgar and it doesn't rely heavily on theatrics (although admittedly it dips into sentimentality a lot) it just draws you in. In short, while this movie wasn't a thriller it had me biting my nails and my heart racing fast, it was really just a thrilling movie.

"Never. Oh, Never. Nothing will die. The stream flows, the wind blows, the cloud fleets, the heart beats. Nothing will die" Johns Mother (Phoebe Nicholls), The Elephant Man.


(There is more i could say but i think you know that this is one great movie already. Do not forget to comment!)