Review of The Elephant Man (1980) by Diana M — 17 Jul 2009

One of the most emotionally powerful films I've seen. It is an elegy of a most unusual nature. Its subject was not a great man; his circumstances were too harsh for that to be possible. His only real ambition was to be normal, to live normally and to be treated normally.

Shot in remorseless, yet mollifying (and beautiful) black and white, the film itself treats him more normally than anyone in it does. Above all, the story is an indictment of the people who stared at this man for amusement.

The film raises the question, though: are we, watching it, guilty of the same thing? This is not an easy question, and the film doesn't try to answer it; it's something even Anthony Hopkins's character asks of himself.

This movie is beautifully done, featuring some of the best makeup work I've ever seen. I can't even begin to know how difficult it would be to give a performance through all of that, but John Hurt does so, and without overacting.

Somehow, he reveals Merrick's innate dignity and deep sorrow every moment he's on the screen. This was a man who lived a life of torture--a fact that is brought forth with hints big and small.

Slowly, as the film progresses, Merrick is transformed from a circus freak, to an object of pity, to an intelligent and artistic man who, nevertheless, we would not be interested in if it weren't for his deformity.

This movie isn't meant to be merely watched, but to make us rethink our ideas about beauty and monstrosity.