Review of The Elephant Man (1980) by Hannah M — 29 Dec 2011
Without any overlying mawkish melodrama, The Elephant man was a straight-to-the-point poignant drama. It depicted John Merrick, that hideous, yet pitifully innocent Londoner, with searing pathos and tragedy.
And without John Hurt playing that role to such convincing heights, I doubt this would have been worth your while at all. Anthony Hopkins played his role (Frederick Treves) with clear (yet flawed) perception, and its balance of human goodness (exemplified by the educated likes of Madge Kendal, Mothershead, and Carr Gomm) and inhumanity (exemplified by the low-down likes of Bytes and that Night Porter) was cleverly maintained throughout.
This was a poignantly told and beautifully depicted film, which ultimately portrayed the tragedy of Merrick to searing heights.
This review of The Elephant Man (1980) was written by Hannah M on 29 Dec 2011.
The Elephant Man has generally received very positive reviews.
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