Rating of
4/4
"The Elephant Man" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 04/05/12
The Elephant Man tells the true life story of John Merrick, a man dreadfully deformed from birth who was saved from a freak show by a kindly doctor to become the toast of Victorian society. The kind of visual gimmickry you'd expect from David Lynch is glaringly absent from this beautiful biopic, he instead tells the story through atmosphere and sensitive character study. It truly is an acting masterclass, with remarkable performances from some of the best British actors ever to tread the boards but it is John Hurt's deeply moving portrayal of the man himself that rightfully takes centre stage. It shows both the heights of kindness and depths of cruelty the human animal is capable of, and instills real emotion and empathy from the viewer without the kind of cynical manipulation and button pushing that most directors resort to. To my mnd, this is still Lynch's best film and anyone who does not shed a tear during its duration is surely made of stone.
