The elephant man: Is it really that bad?

A

*Angel

New member
I want to see it but my friend already has and said that the transformation of John hurt will haunt the viewer and ultimately put them off. So for people who have seen it, is the costume/mask too gory, or does the plot make it watchable?
 
I've never classed Elephant Man as a horror film.

The first time you see him, it's a bit shocking but you soon get used to him and to be honest you'll be too engrosed in the story to be frightened.
 
Although his appearance is initially shocking the film is in black and white taking the edge off his horrific appearance. You will be so engrossed in the superb acting of both John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins you'll soon forget about how he looks anyway. A MUST-SEE!! Stock up on the tissues! I'm not giving the ending away by saying that because I needed them all the way through - but then I'm an old softie! :cry:
 
Though some may be surprised that some people presume Elephant Man to be a horror movie, I can actually understand it.

When it was released, it was marketed and sold as a horror movie. Movie execs just don't get the subtleties...he's a horribly deformed man, so surely it must be a horror movie, right?

And if you went into your local video store back in the 80's and 90's, you would surely find it under the horror section.

On first cinema viewing, I actually expected, if not quite a horror movie, something along the lines of David Lynch's Eraserhead.

But what I got was something very, very different - I just was not prepared for what was a superbly mounted, intensely moving and emotional tour-de-force.

You are taken through the life of a man born with a horrendous disfigurement...exploited, beaten, abused, literally made to live like an animal in a travelling circus.

Anthony Hopkins doctor attempts to extricate Merrick from his torment, and whilst studying his illness and attempting to make his life more comfortable (Merricks disfigurements were so severe he not only had trouble walking and breathing, but could barely sleep), but introduces him Pygmalion-like to a different world than that he had previously been used to.

John Hurt's portrayal of John Merrick is quite extraordinary...buried under tons of makeup, he manages to infuse the character with incredible dignity and gentleness - when introduced to the fineries of the theatre, music and classic novels, he is literally mesmerised and awestruck, because all he has ever known is a life of violence, harRABhip and cruelty.

Of course the shadow of Merrick's previous existence, and particularly those who exploited him, is never too far away...as a circus sideshow attraction his disfigurements ensured healthy reciepts at his 'owners' circus freakhow. And Merrick is never quite free from the clutches of his previous life.

The film does not shy away from the notion that Hopkin's is possibly just as guilty of exploiting Merrick for his own reasons...giving lectures to prominent doctors and surgeons, and putting Merrick 'on display', though of course in the name of 'medical science'. And also 'introducing' and 'presenting' him to various members of high society and the arts...the only apparent difference is that he now wears a tuxedo instead of dirty rags and chains.

Another great plus point is the production design - Lynch filmed in black and white, which was perfect for the industrial, grimy, smoky Victorian London in which it was set. Indeed, you can see echoes of that nightmarish, desolate lanRABcape that he created in Eraserhead...and with occasional flashes of his trademark bizarre imagery as well.

Sorry...did you want the short answer?

What the hell...one of my all time favorite movies, and one that confounRAB expectations in the viewer.
 
Heartbreaking film and Hurt & Hopkins are stellar in it, but the film is only 50% fact. Michael Elphick's character and all he gets up to for instance is pure fiction. Still, a must for any movie fan.
 
its one of those films which is a trial to watch all the way through but in a good way, i recommend it, ive only even watched it once because i just cant see it again a bit like The Green Mile
 
I actually think the black and white aspect adRAB to the darkness of it.

The first sight of the unamasked John Merrick provides a shock but one of the many great things about the film is the way it creates a great level of sympathy with him without being saccharine.
 
Especially when it is is apparant exactly what sort of person resides in that disfigured body. In my opinion the most shocking and heartbreaking scene of the film are those famous three sentences delivered with perfection by John Hurt
 
I remember seeing it first when I was about 12.

It terrified me and the prospect of walking upstairs to be confronted by the Elephant Man looming out of the shadows paralysed me for ages.

It wasn't the movie of course, which is superb. But my fertile 12-year-old imagination that created this hideous monster.

So it may only be a PG but it's open to misinterpretation by misunderstanding minRAB.
 
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