Review of The Elephant Man (1980) by Mikhail B — 10 Jul 2012

A film marking the civilised world's shift from aristocratic stratification to the dawning understanding of the individual value of people as it took place in the early 20th century. The author questions the possibility of dignified living of a cripple from the lower classes, and brings to the centre of our attention the life and personality of the protagonist, an extremely poor man suffering from the elephant decease and having to show his sickness in a circus' freak show.

A doctor picks him up from the street to base a professional thesis on his case, but having sited his intelligence and rich emotional world, tries to promote his education and introduce him to the higher society, and find to his surprise that his comfort zone lies among the circus company rather than higher classes, because curiosity of paupers, regardless of their occasional violence, somehow better preserve his dignity.

Anthony Hopkins' performance as a high-class doctor showing dignity, restraint, scientific curiosity and determination in helping the cripple is excellent. Also, the so-called Elephant Man wonderfully conveys the evolution of his character from a mute animal into all but a high-class gentleman, and back to the mindless existence of a helpless plant of a man.