Film Reviews: The Elephant Man (1980)

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The Elephant Man

Based on the true story of joseph Merrick, The Elephant Man Directed by David Lynch in 1980 looks at the life of a seriously deformed man who had to live his life as freak show attraction. The film is shot in black and white to capture the settings of the Victorian era. A truly moving story that would leave you in tears, if you were human enough to understand the catastrophe of his life. To deal with constant rejection and brutality because of how you look would break the strongest of men, and this man had it from the moment he was able to understand feel emotions.

Played by John Hurt, “John Merrick” is 21 years old who earn his living through freak shows and attractions. “The film suggests Merrick fell in with the freak show crowd against his will” (Movieandsongs365, 2011). Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins) discovers him who then goes on to be somewhat a father figure to him. After the show is closed due to the appearance this creature, Treves pays the Ruthless Bytes (Freddie Jones) who is the manager of “The Elephant Man” sum about of money to have john bought to his office to examine him.

Whether your helping him or hurting him both ways fells like your taking advantage of him” Taking advantage of “the freak” at a circus, or to advance your career as a doctor” (Movieandsongs365, 2011). In the film Treves comes across as though he is using John to enhance his credibility as a doctor. Only when the head nurse complains to him that John is still being treated as a freak show to more upper class audience does he realise that he is mishandling him. With that you have the night porter secretly making money of “The Elephant man “ by bringing drunken from the pub to show them the “freak”.

You can’t help but feel sorry for john Merrick in this film, living through brutality and prejudice. Seeing a shockingly deformed person who finds it hard to walk let alone fight back, take in so much violence and discrimination because he appears different angered me. John Merrick quote from the movie “I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being! I am a man!” You can feel how alienated he felt, to walk around in a mask because his natural face appears monstrous. Lowest part of the film is when he tries to be normal in his sleep the only place he finds peace, which takes him to his death.





Image 01:
http://www.nolanfans.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=5417&start=5640
Image 02:
http://www.aveleyman.com/FilmCredit.aspx?FilmID=5623
Image 03:
http://studiocanalcollection.com/en/collection/show/8-The_Elephant_Man

Bibliography
Movie and songs 365
http://moviesandsongs365.blogspot.com/2011/06/movie-of-week-elephant-man-1980.html
Published, Monday, 20 June 2011