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 #118 | 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

Director David Lynch originally wanted John Hurt to wear a whole body suit to play Merrick. But the costume was to unwieldy and unworkable to wear.

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Goofs

When Carr Gomm first meets John Merrick, he walks close up to him. In the next shot he is way back from him, then close again.

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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

Referenced in The Simpsons: Homer vs. Patty and Selma (1995)

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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

a perfect film

If one was to turn on David Lynch's The Elephant Man midway through, without knowing what it was, one might be startled at the appearance of the main character. One might even be tempted to make fun of the character. But if one was to watch the film from the beginning, one's sympathy with John Merrick (John Hurt), 'The Elephant Man,' would be strong enough to deny that the former situation was ever a possibility. Lynch does not allow his audience to glimpse Merrick sans mask until his appearance has been built up substantially. When we the audience are at our zenith of anticipation, we see him-no dramatic music, no slow motion; a simple cut and he's there. There he is. And it's no big deal.

This is the beauty of Lynch's direction. We are led through our morbid curiosity at the same rate the characters in the film are. We develop alongside them. More specifically, we develop alongside Frederick Treeves, played with an astounding sublimity of emotion by Anthony Hopkins. Next to Treeves we pity Merrick, respect him, pity him again, and then ask ourselves with him, 'is he just a spectacle to me? Am I a bad person?'

Lynch certainly doesn't let us bypass this question easily. Are we bad people for being intrigued or are we good people for pitying? Certainly there is a mix of intrigue and pity with every character who first meets John, and we are not excluded. However, as with almost every character who truly comes to know John and confer with him, we learn to respect him as a human being and not as a spectacle. Nonetheless, this issue never finds close in the film, nor do I feel it ever can be closed in actual life. Hopkin's Treeves is never fully sated in how he feels about this dilemma, and so, neither can we be.

Technically, The Elephant Man is a beautifully shot film. In crisp black and white, the film recalls the cinematic technique of American cinema circa the 1930's. The scenes dissolve into one another; there is no brisk editing. The lighting is kept low-key during dark scenes, balanced during daytime scenes-this is standard film-making of the era. The one digression from this form are the distinctly Lynchian surrealities-pseudo-dream-sequences of commendably original imagery that break up the film and serve as distinct mood-setters for the audience. These are, for the most part, fairly intimidating sidenotes. We as an audience are caught off-guard because in these tangents we are not identifying with Treeves, we are put instead into Merrick's shoes. It is unsettling.

But Lynch has never been a director to flinch at unsettling prospects. We must watch Merrick beaten, abused, harassed, humiliated, and tormented. We may feel a surge of happiness when he finally stands up for himself, but by that point we still have to cope with what we've already, what he's already, experienced. I suppose that is the greatest and most devastating aspect of the film-empathy. Every moment is heartbreaking. Yet no matter how hard it gets, and how much better it then turns, there is always the threat of another jab. And those jabs only get more and more painful.

The Elephant Man is a perfect film. It is sorrowful but it apologizes not at all for it. It is a film about where our empathy stems from, a film that asks you to feel sorry but rebukes you for your blind pity. It asks you to respect Merrick, not cry for him. But you can't help crying. The Elephant Man is a film that treks you through despair and asks for your hope in the end. It asks you to hate humanity but to love the humane. It asks you to look at a man who appears sad and know that inside, he's okay.