Review of The Elephant Man (1980) by Davis M — 15 Dec 2013

With a straighfoward plot, this is not a typical Lynch movie, and that is precisely why it makes him an even more complete director. Some of his "weirdness" can be spotted, specially in the openng scene. It is interesting to see that this very opening scene shows John Merrick's mother being attacked by elephants, which is the version told by Bytes, the "villain", and not supported at any moment by the "hero", Dr. Treves. It doesn't matter that much what really caused his condition, but how it affected him. The elephants attacking his mother are a representation of what was the arrival of such a child in his mother's life. In th tea scene he says "I tried so hard to be good", which shows the underlying guilt he feels for merely having been born. This was beautifully dealt with in the film, together with the uneasiness we feel when the "hero" starts to become more and more similar to the "villain", getting to the point of asking himself aloud whether he is a good man or a bad man.

Also, there is the behaviour of the night keeper, torturing Merrick once again when he finally feels safe. It is a vital moment of the story, when we are more likely to flinch at the sight of the night keeper's evil face than to Merrick's deformity. It makes us realise who the real monster is.