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Last updated: 06 Jun 2026 at 20:15 UTC

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Review of by Bryce I — 04 Jun 2011

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Slow, deliberate pace.

John Hurt as John Merrick is heartbreaking.

The cinematography is awesome. The film actually looks like it was shot in the 1940s with film that has aged since then.

The way the film is lit is crazily good.

The dialogue is humorous, well placed, and used sparingly.

We don't see Merrick's disfigured face until 40 minutes or so into the movie, so almost the entire first hour is in wonderment of what this "Elephant Man" looks like.

Honestly, before watching this, I was not a David Lynch fan. I had seen snippets of Eraserhead and I just thought he was trying to be weird for the sake of being weird, but I see a true master behind this film. The way it is shot, the way it's paced, the way the actors are presented is great.

You won't care, but I am now a huge David Lynch fan. If you see this, you will be too.

This review of The Elephant Man (1980) was written by on 04 Jun 2011.

The Elephant Man has generally received very positive reviews.

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