The Elephant Man

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David M. @DavidMcKimmie Jan 19 A powerful exploration of the extremes of humanity. The performance, the cinematography and the direction are exemplary. See more Ed B. @EdLee Jan 18 The Elephant Man is a poignant film about a horribly disfigured young man named John Merrick aka the elephant man. Movie is directed by David Lynch , who put to screen a captivating tale of one of the most tragic yet sensitive individuals ever. Filmed in Black & White and captures what late 19th Century London must have been like. John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins play well off each other. Very moving and soul stirring movie. See more Suha A @Suhaabuarqub Jan 3 By putting this very true story on screen, David Lynch held a mirror in front of us to show us our real soul and face us with our own hypocrisy. Hurt’s performance and Lynch’s thinking honored the life of Merrick for eternity. See more Christian M Nov 20 The most heartbreaking drama in cinema. With 'The Elephant Man', David Lynch establishes himself as one of the greatest and most accomplished directors of all time, with a legacy that is almost impossible to surpass. Far from his feverish cinematic dreams, he delivers here a profoundly human drama, written with restraint and empathy. A film that moves anyone, stirring emotions to their limits. Lynch transforms a true story into a deep reflection on dignity, perception, and the gaze of others. Through a protagonist marked by an extraordinary appearance, the director tackles universal themes without needing to state them explicitly: the need to be treated as a person, the fear of what is different, and the moral contradiction that is presented with excellence—clear proof that Lynch did not overlook these details in the script. John Hurt builds a monument to himself. Beneath an extreme physical transformation, he manages to convey humanity with a delicacy that genuinely hurts. Anthony Hopkins portrays a man trapped between curiosity, compassion, and an ethical unease that adds depth to the story, as mentioned earlier. Together, they elevate the film to an emotional level that remains a true challenge to surpass. The choice of black and white, the work of the legendary Freddie Francis and Lynch himself, is not a mere aesthetic gesture: it focuses the viewer’s attention on faces, expressions, dialogue, and environments. The chiaroscuro reinforces the intimacy of the narrative and highlights the fragility of its characters without resorting to visual grandiloquence. It is, quite literally, a way of focusing attention on what matters: the emotions—and for that, they made this drastic photographic decision. The pacing is elegant. The film moves forward with subtlety, giving space for emotions to take root in the viewer’s sympathy. And when it reaches its culmination—one of the saddest, most painful, and most beautiful moments cinema has produced—the film makes it clear that it needs nothing more. 'The Elephant Man' is an exceptional drama and a biopic that carries a complex irony: the most visible deformities are the invisible ones, not so much the ones on the surface. A masterpiece that continues to shine thanks to its sensitivity, its intelligence, and its heart. See more antoni b @mrobor Oct 14 Even tho the movie was made a good time ago this is still a very interesting story. See more Chris H Oct 1 Tragic and uplifting in equal measure, this is a true story told with sensitivity and buoyed by terrific performances by Hurt and Hopkins. In fact the whole cast is great and it’s worth reading the credits as there are some more famous names here, in surprising roles. John Merrick’s treatment is appalling; he is taken from a sideshow where he is beaten and gawped at, only to be gawped at again by the well to do members of society, who visit him in his hospital chambers. His quiet dignity, and his charm, carry him through despite his suffering. There is an odd juxtaposition with machinery and the industrial revolution; there are several scenes of unfeeling machines crashing and banging. Not sure what David Lynch was thinking here; answers on a postcard please. See more Read all reviews

The Elephant Man

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