The Elephant Man 1980 review

The Elephant man was created in 1980 and directed by David Lynch. The film is based on a true story of the famous 'Elephant man' or his actually name, Joseph Merrick (although called 'John Merrick' in the film). This is a very heart warming sorry, with pain and sorrow but with the slightest happiness thrown in. The Story of John Merrick is a extremely deformed man, suffering from large tumours on the face and back, right arm bound useless and the general public only looking at him as a freak show. The character John is played by John hurt, an absolutly amazing performance, what i like most about the acting, is how he draws you into the film. The moment he came on, I started to forget I was actually watching a film, and more like living the experience.

John is pulled out the isolation of the 'Freak Show' by a surgeon called Frederick Treves. Now this kind man has a very important role and the moment Frederick meets John, he cries at the site of him, at the pain that he feels for John. This is a vey powerful scene.
'The doctor gives no more credit to Merrick’s intellect than any other person at first, but as he converses with him, introduces him to other hospital staff, and starts listening to him, he realizes that Merrick is not only well versed with many interests, but that he is also a compassionate, warm person who wants nothing more than to be treated with a little dignity and to be loved.' (Devon, http://www.theviewingscreen.com/?p=1720) This hits the whole film on the head, it shows that everybody in the world at the time of this film, saw John as a hideous idiot, yes Frederick took him in to care for him, he was simpathic to his appearance, but he also thought he was an idiot.
'it's all too clear that he's intelligent, sensitive, and above all only too aware of the tortuous life of humiliation that he has had to endure.' (Almar Haflidason, http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2001/05/24/the_elephant_man_1980_review.shtml)



Throughout the film everyone comes to realise that he's not an idiot at all, maybe een more intellegent than the average person. A lot of people become touched by this story and in a short amount of time everybody is interested in John Merrick.

'It touched me in a way no other movie has... some of the scenes even brought me to tears'
(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080678/)