The Elephant Man (1980)

A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man who is mistreated while scraping a living as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous facade, there is revealed a person of intelligence and sensitivity.

Director:

David Lynch

Writers:

Christopher De Vore (screenplay), Eric Bergren (screenplay),

Stars:

Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft

Top 250 #117 | Nominated for 8 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anthony Hopkins	...	Frederick Treves
John Hurt	...	John Merrick
Anne Bancroft	...	Mrs. Kendal
John Gielgud	...	Carr Gomm
Wendy Hiller	...	Mothershead
Freddie Jones	...	Bytes
Michael Elphick	...	Night Porter
Hannah Gordon	...	Mrs. Treves
Helen Ryan	...	Princess Alex
John Standing	...	Fox
Dexter Fletcher	...	Bytes' Boy
Lesley Dunlop	...	Nora
Phoebe Nicholls	...	Merrick's Mother
Pat Gorman	...	Fairground Bobby
Claire Davenport	...	Fat Lady

Storyline

John Merrick (whose real name was Joseph, as this is based on a true story) is an intelligent and friendly man, but he is hated by his Victorian-era English society because he is severely deformed. Once he is discovered by a doctor, however, he is saved from his life in a freak show and he is treated like the human being that he really is.

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Plot Keywords:

freak | hospital | curiosity | deformity | actress | 

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Taglines:

I am not an animal! I am a human being! I...am...a man!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 October 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

El hombre elefante

Filming Locations:

Broadgate, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

SEK 2,253,306 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brooksfilms

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Anthony Hopkins's portrayal of the good doctor Frederick Treves in this film is reportedly what inspired Jonathan Demme to cast him as the evil doctor Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. (Hopkins later said that he felt the sharing-and-caring role of Dr. Frederick Treves a rather dull one.)

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Goofs

In nearly every scene, John Hurt's make-up changes in some way.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Skeleton Man: Get rid of them! I don't want to see them!
Fat Lady: Darling, don't be difficult! Let's take our sweet lovely children on an outing.

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Crazy Credits

Closing disclaimer: This has been based upon the true life story of John Merrick, known as The Elephant Man, and not upon the Broadway play of the same title or any other fictional account.

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Connections

Spoofed in The Toxic Avenger (1984)

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Soundtracks

"Adagio For Strings"
By Samuel Barber
Played by London Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by André Previn (as Andre Previn)

User Reviews

One of the greatest films, but so little appreciated

I first saw The Elephant Man at its pre-release showing in 1980, and it struck an immediate and resonant chord with me. Few movies are like this, and it remains (many viewings later) one of my top 10 films of all time.

The plot is presented well in other reviews here, so I will not repeat it or comment further. Of the film itself I would only add that it is without doubt the most mature and satisfying of David Lynch's works - in many ways it is the final, polished jewel carved from the rough and ugly (but fascinating) diamond of Eraserhead, with the self-conscious artiness and juvenile qualities of the earlier film distilled into a potent and poignant statement on the human condition.

Some critics have dismissed The Elephant Man as an exercise in emotional manipulation, however I believe this completely misses the point. All films are manipulative to some degree, but it is a manipulation in which we as an audience engage by consent. The Elephant Man will stand the final test and it will be appreciated fully by future audiences, in much the same way as Citizen Kane had to wait for some decades until audiences were able to fully comprehend its greatness.