Review of The Elephant Man (1980) by Grant W — 06 Mar 2017

It's a well-made film, complete with Lynch's artistic cinematography synced with carefully articulated sounds. Both Hurt and Hopkins are an effective duo, portraying a believable friendship based (loosely) on the real life events of John Merrick during the mid/late 1800s.

Here's the problem, the film goes down the predictable, at times cliché Hollywood, route by telling an ugly duckling story instead of letting us, the audience, truly understand what made Merrick a remarkable man. All in all, it's great style marred by disappointing substance.