Review of The Elephant Man (1980) by Manicure — 22 Nov 2020

The Elephant Man is a straightforward biopic about disfigured Joseph "John" Merrick and his struggles with social acceptance in a fascinating Victorian England setting. The story is brought to life by convincing acting, beautiful cinematography, and carefully crafted sets and makeup. All vain efforts, as the movie chose the most shallow writing and conservative approach to the subject.

David Lynch contributes with some visually compelling shots and interesting sequences, but at the same time mostly restricts himself to paying homage to his favorite black and white age films. His elegant yet manneristic approach sometimes even ends up amplifying the kitsch, overly sentimental tone of the movie. Everything is so melodramatic that for a second I thought Lynch was just trying to be sarcastic and hint at the hollow, masturbatory charity fetishes of the middle class. But then, it would be hard to explain awkward scenes such as Merrick's "I am a man!!" burst at the station, or Michael Elphick's mandatory textbook cheesy villain appearances. I still managed to get emotionally invested with the film and, despite the slow pace, everything flows well enough. Just, for being a movie that was released in 1980 it looks and feels at least 40 years older, both formally and conceptually.