While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

It's nine o'clock on a Saturday The regular crowd shuffles in There's an old man sitting next to me Makin' love to his tonic and gin He says, "Son, can you play me a memory I'm not really sure how it goes But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete When I wore a younger man's clothes" La la la, di da da La la, di da da da dum Sing us a song, you're the elephant man Sing us a song tonight Well, we're all in the mood for a melody And you've got us feelin' alright Now John at the bar is a friend of mine He gets me my drinks for free And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke But there's someplace that he'd rather be He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me" As the smile ran away from his face "Well I'm sure that I could be a movie star If I could get out of this place" Oh, la la la, di da da La la, di da da da dum Now Paul is a real estate novelist Who never had time for a wife And he's talkin' with Davy, who's still in the Navy And probably will be for life And the waitress is practicing politics As the businessmen slowly get stoned Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness But it's better than drinkin' alone Sing us a song you're the elephant man Sing us a song tonight Well we're all in the mood for a melody And you got us feeling alright It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday And the manager gives me a smile 'Cause he knows that it's me they've been comin' to see To forget about life for a while And the elephant, it sounds like a carnival And the microphone smells like a beer And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar And say, "Man, what are you doin' here?" Oh, la la la, di da da La la, di da da da dum Sing us a song you're the elephant man Sing us a song tonight Well we're all in the mood for a melody And you got us feeling alright

The movie tells the tragic story of Joseph (John) Merrick who lived in Victorian England. As a biopic, it is focused on the relation between Merrick and Dr. Frederic Treves who saves him from freak shows and arranges a permanent room in London hospital where Merrick spends rest of his life. Except some deviations which probably don't affect the main theme, the movie in general sticks to the historical facts. Anthony Hopkins displays a superb performance as Dr. Treves who finds himself in a moral dilemma: his humane approach to help Merrick from the cruelties of outside world is counterbalanced by his scientific curiosity which drives him to study Merrick's abnormal physical condition and exhibit him in conferences reminiscent of despicable freak shows. In comparison to the pictures of actual J. Merrick of his time, the makeup artist does a phenomenal job on John Hurt to recreate Merrick's disfigured appearance. The fact that all this happens in a pre-CGI era further adds to the value of the work. Finally, John Hurt delivers a top notch performance in a difficult acting job where he successfully plays Merrick's physical impediments along with his mental and psychological state. On the negative side, the pace of the movie is a bit slow and the narrative is quite depressing which is deliberately aided by the black and white shooting of the movie. Merrick's physical condition and the resulting mental burden on himself get us all moving but can't carry the movie for 2 hrs alone. The surrounding stories involving his abuse by his "manager" and others, the curiosity he evokes in London high society lack in human drama and tension. The subplots of these stories are bland and too weak to pick up the crawling tempo. Finally, the movie is very categorical in displaying the attitude of people towards Merrick. Overall, we are exposed to three types of people of the time: those living underground and suffer silently due to their freakish appearance sympathize with him; the general public react very cruelly on streets and pubs towards Merrick; the concert going, educated, higher class elites on the other hand are benevolent and behave more accommodating.

''Why are people afraid of the 'unknown' ?'' I was very touched. I liked it the acting of Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt very much. I'm surprised that John did not get an Oscar. We see our prejudice is always a shadow. Unlike other Lynch films at a more understandable level. John Merrick: I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being! I am a man!

"I am not an animal. I am a human being." These are the heartbreaking words that John Merrick says when he gets fed up with people gawking at him and comparing him to an animal. David Lynch's The Elephant Man is a hard-hitting story about a real-life person who is an outcast due to his deformities. However, Lynch who also wrote the script, portrays this subject matter in a more positive light. Themes of courage, and the fact that everyone is human no matter the circumstances are brought to light here. Prepare to bring the tissues, because this story is an emotional story and I can guarantee no one will have a dry eye when the end credits appear on screen.I will go right into the thick of the story. John Merrick (John Hurt), nicknamed "The Elephant Man" is a man with a wonderful personality, but is hated by the English society because of his deformed body. He was discovered at a freak show by a kind doctor named Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins), and Treves gives Merrick the life and the treatment that he has never received before.The true story is a tragic and a heartwarming story. It makes you lose your faith in humanity, but then you believe not all hope is lost. There are caring people out in the world and the film gives you prime examples of these people. In addition to Treves, we have Carr Gomm (John Gielgud) who is Treve's understanding superior, Mrs. Kendal (Anne Bancroft) who became a wonderful lady friend to Merrick, and Mothershead (Wendy Hiller) who took good care of Merrick in the hospital.David Lynch is a great director who is known for directing very strange films. When the film opened, and the disturbing montage of elephants and Merrick's mom giving birth appeared, I became worried that the movie would end up being some odd take on this story. Fortunately, this turned out to be one of Lynch's more straightforward stories he told on the big screen. He took a difficult and odd subject matter, and turned it into one of the most emotional stories I have seen.The performances are fantastic up and down the board. The one standout is John Hurt's mesmerizing performance as John Merrick that garnered him an Academy Award nomination. He was always a committed actor, and that really shows in this film. In addition to his wonderfully horrifying makeup work, you believe that you are watching "The Elephant Man." You feel his pain and his emotions as he tries to live with his deformities in an era where people like him are not accepted. Anthony Hopkins also delivers a strong performance as Frederick Treves. He came across as aloof, but kind-hearted enough to help Merrick. The film does a good job highlighting the relationship between these two characters.If there are any criticisms I had to make, it would be with pacing. The film portrays Merrick as a man who can hardly speak then in the next instant, he would be quoting Shakespeare with exact precision. I had difficulty keeping up with the timeline, and it caused some confusion at times.The Elephant Man also made some history. People in the industry were angered because the film didn't get the proper recognition for its makeup. That caused the Academy, in the following year, to create a category for makeup. The makeup artist, Christopher Tucker did an amazing job creating the real, authentic look of John Merrick. The work put into the makeup was grueling, and John Hurt has been quoted saying this is the film that made him "hate" acting. That hard effort paid off! This movie is a wonderful, emotional true story about the man named John Merrick who went from a freak show performer to a man being recognized for the person he is with the help of some very good individuals. John Hurt's performance is one for the ages, and he has a bunch of wonderful supporting performances to work with. I liked Lynch's idea to film the movie in black-and-white. Freddie Francis's camera work is put to fine use in the movie. In a world with increasing darkness, The Elephant Man gave me a little hope.My Grade: A-