The Elephant Man (1980)'s comments

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Typically Thomas

The film takes a fair amount of creative liberty around the abuses Joseph Merrick faced after his admission to the hospital, but it doesn't matter. The core message is clear to all, and that's the most important thing

1 year 4 months ago

Siskoid

David Lynch's John Merrick biopic, The Elephant Man, is very much shot like Gothic horror films, in lush black and white, creating suspense until the "monster" is revealed, but of course, the sideshow freak who captured Victorian society's imagination was nothing of the sort. So if this is a monster tale, the monsters are those who seek to exploit him (and there's an interesting scene in which his doctor - played by Anthony Hopkins - examines his own soul and motives). Through his stylistic conceit, Lynch puts us in the mind of those revolted by deformity who habitually came to gawp at Merrick, and taps into the more tragic of Universal's monster films. It's hard to keep one's composure, empathy for the man under the monstrous body drawing moistness from one's eyes at various points in the film. This may be Lynch's most straightforward film, but that's why it's so emotionally affecting.

6 years ago

locovoco

A left arm that is fully formed and genitals intact....now, really-what more could a man ask for?

All joking aside, to use an apropos English saying...it was bloody brilliant!

8 years 3 months ago

stexdo

Lynch's bromance

8 years 9 months ago

thetallguyinthecorner

This movie has the distinction of being the only movie to ever make tears run down my face, and I found myself making choking animal noises. Wasn't prepared for that... A masterpiece.

9 years 4 months ago

KloVero

To those saying this is Lynch most accessible film ; I'm pretty sure you have not seen ''The straight story''.

Anyway, ''The Elephant Man'' is a wonderful film, a real piece of art and a very touching one that will haunts me for many days. After ''Eraserhead'', the expectation was really high for Lynch but his second film did not deceive.

9 years 5 months ago

Camille Deadpan

Poem used by Joseph Merrick to end his letters, adapted from "False Greatness" by Isaac Watts:

'Tis true my form is something odd,
But blaming me is blaming God;
Could I create myself anew
I would not fail in pleasing you.

If I could reach from pole to pole
Or grasp the ocean with a span,
I would be measured by the soul;
The mind's the standard of the man.

9 years 10 months ago

B. Fink

Favorite movie. Ever.

10 years 6 months ago

arrbrr

Touching! Bloody brilliant!

10 years 11 months ago

Joker of Gotham

This movie don´t made me cry. Great story I can't believe this is a biography movie
3.75/5

11 years 1 month ago

TheMrNickolas

A very moving film, one of the most moving films I have ever seen. Showing that above all else kindness was all that mattered, above Joseph Merrick's early lack of intelligence and his deformities, kindness made him a better human than anyone else.
What a beautiful message to portray in a film.

11 years 1 month ago