This must be one of the most beautiful, cleansing, surreal tear-jerkers ever made. The fact that The Elephant Man(1980) was directed by David Lynch and produced by Mel Brooks and his company makes it even more surreal and incredible. It may seem over-sentimental and manipulative for some viewers but it is a great movie about the unbearable, unfair human condition, about dignity and what it means to be a Human Being, a Man. David Lynch's only second feature treats its subject with compassion and restraint and features outstanding performances by John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins. B/W cinematography that brought to life the feeling of expressionistic movies from the 1920s is appropriately disturbing. And who can forget the make-up work by Christopher Tucker! It took John Hurt seven hours every day to apply it and two hours to take it off.
John Merrick had lived with such deformity that forced him to sleep sitting up, with his legs drawn up and his head resting on his knees. His enlarged head was too heavy to allow him to sleep lying down and, as Merrick put it, he would risk "waking with a broken neck". Poor, pure John Merrick who died before his 28th birthday. He required great deal of care from the nursing staff. He suffered a lot but he always remained a loving, gentle, dignified person.
John Merrick had lived with such deformity that forced him to sleep sitting up, with his legs drawn up and his head resting on his knees. His enlarged head was too heavy to allow him to sleep lying down and, as Merrick put it, he would risk "waking with a broken neck". Poor, pure John Merrick who died before his 28th birthday. He required great deal of care from the nursing staff. He suffered a lot but he always remained a loving, gentle, dignified person.