The Elephant ManDeformed in the womb by a rare disease that grossly disfigures him, John Merrick (John Hurt) becomes a side-show attraction in a travelling freak show.
A London surgeon, Sir Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins) rescues Merrick and, in making cautious efforts to socialise him, slowly coaxes out of the terrified man a disarmingly unembittered and reflective mind.
David Lynch's extraordinarily moving drama, set in Victorian-era London, shares a stylistic interest in atmospheric (fog-bound) milieu and a central thematic (the plight of individuals marginalised by an uncaring or unseeing society) that likewise resonates throughout much of Tim Burton's oeuvre.
"Buried under an incredible mass of make-up, John Hurt manages to invest his portrayal of Merrick with dignity and courage. His moving performance contrasts with the Victorian world of industrial horror that director David Lynch tries to crush him with. The result is a glimpse into a nightmare from which a beacon of humanity shines out, despite his hideous disfigurement" BBC Films
Imported print.
