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The Elephant Man (1980)

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Top Critics

Average Rating: 8.2/10
Reviews Counted: 34
Fresh: 31 | Rotten: 3

David Lynch's relatively straight second feature finds an admirable synthesis of compassion and restraint in treating its subject, and features outstanding performances by John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins.

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 4
Fresh: 2 | Rotten: 2

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Movie Info

John Hurt stars as John Merrick, the hideously deformed 19th century Londoner known as "The Elephant Man". Treated as a sideshow freak, Merrick is assumed to be retarded as well as misshapen because of his inability to speak coherently. In fact, he is highly intelligent and sensitive, a fact made public when one Dr. Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins) rescues Merrick from a carnival and brings him to a hospital for analysis. Alas, even after being recognized as a man of advanced intellect,

PG, 2 hr. 5 min.

Drama

Directed By: David Lynch

Written By: Eric Bergren, Christopher DeVore, David Lynch

In Theaters: Oct 3, 1980 Wide

On DVD: Dec 11, 2001

Paramount

The Elephant Man Trailer & Photos

Cast

Anthony Hopkins
Dr. Frederick Treves
John Hurt
John Merrick
Anne Bancroft
Mrs. Madge Kendal
John Gielgud
Carr Gomm
Wendy Hiller
Mothershead
Freddie Jones
Bytes
Michael Elphick
Night Porter
Hannah Gordon
Mrs. Treves
Helen Ryan
Princess Alexandra
John Standing
Fox
Dexter Fletcher
Bytes' Boy
Lesley Dunlop
Nora
Phoebe Nicholls
Merrick's Mother
Kenny Baker
Plumed Dwarf
Kathleen Byron
Lady Waddington
Fanny Carby
Mrs. Kendal's Dresser
Gerald Case
Lord Waddington
Claire Davenport
Fat Lady
Roy Evans
Cabbie
Chris Greener
Giant
Patricia Hodge
Screaming Woman
Eiji Kusuhara
Japanese Bleeder
Tony London
Porter
Hugh Manning
Broadneck
Orla Pederson
Skeleton Man
Marcus Powell
Midget
John Rapley
King in Panto
David Ryall
Man with Whores
Lisa & Teri Scobie
Siamese Twins
Patsy Smart
Distraught Woman
Stromboli
Fire Eater
Frederick Treves
Alderman
Robert Day
Little Jim
Dierdre Costello
1st Whore
Pat Gorman
Fairground Bobby
Pauline Quirke
Whore
Maggie Cartier
Robert Bush
Messenger
Teresa Codling
Princess in Panto
Carole Harrison
Tart
Richard Hunter
Hodges
Bernadette Milnes
William Morgan Sheppard
Man in Pub
Tommy Wright
First Bobby
Peter Davidson
Second Bobby

Critic Reviews for The Elephant Man

All Critics (34) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (33) | Rotten (3) | DVD (19)

The picture itself is a strange trade-off between Lynch's personal themes -- the night world of obscure, disturbing sexual obsessions -- and the requirements of a middlebrow message movie.

April 30, 2008 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader

| Comments (5)

Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

Director David Lynch has created an eerily compelling atmosphere in recounting a hideously deformed man's perilous life in Victorian England.

April 30, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

Variety Staff

Variety

Top Critic

I kept asking myself what the film was really trying to say about the human condition as reflected by John Merrick, and I kept drawing blanks.

October 23, 2004 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times

| Comments (34)

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Top Critic

What we eventually see underneath this shell is not 'the study in dignity' that Ashley Montagu wrote about, but something far more poignant, a study in genteelness that somehow suppressed all rage.

May 20, 2003 Full Review Source: New York Times

| Comment

Vincent Canby

New York Times

Top Critic

Heartbreaking drama isn't for sensitive viewers.

January 2, 2011 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media

| Comment

Scott G. Mignola

Common Sense Media

The greatest contribution -- apart from the central performances -- comes from Francis, whose wonderful black and white, widescreen photography lends atmosphere and clarity to the proceedings.

April 30, 2008 Full Review Source: Film4

| Comment

Film4

A moving, faithful retelling of a bizarre true story.

April 30, 2008 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide

| Comment

TV Guide's Movie Guide

It's an amazing story about the human spirit that's told with great sensitivity.

April 23, 2007 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews

| Comment

Dennis Schwartz

Ozus' World Movie Reviews

One of the year's best films. Only DeNiro could take the Oscar away from John Hurt.

December 14, 2006 Comments (2)

Michael A. Smith

Nolan's Pop Culture Review Source: Nolan's Pop Culture Review

In this follow-up to the amazing Eraserhead, David Lynch exposes undercurrents of anguish along with an emotionally accessible tale of Merrick's nobility--a Victorian morality play disguised as an elegy to freakishness

June 22, 2006 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

| Comment

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

Has the look and texture of an authentic document, elevated by the hand of a artist with a singular vision

June 7, 2006 Full Review Source: Cinemania

| Comment

Dan Jardine

Cinemania

This black-and-white film already includes several Lyncian benchmarks: hissing noises, nightmare sequences, and moments of deadly quiet.

May 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid

| Comment

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

A marvellous movie, shot in stunning black-and-white by Freddie Francis.

January 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

| Comment

Tom Milne

Time Out

Perhaps Lynch's finest moment -- Both disturbingly odd and surprisingly humane.

January 6, 2006 Comment

Dan Fienberg

Zap2it.com

David Lynch does a neat turn with a straight drama.

November 14, 2005 Comment

Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Spectacular

November 12, 2004 Comment

S. James Wegg

JWR

The Elephant Man is a memorable film about human survival and a powerful commentary on human exploitation.

March 16, 2004 Full Review Source: Apollo Guide

| Comment

Brian Webster

Apollo Guide

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for The Elephant Man

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David Lynch has had a career with ups and downs, troubles finding funding for films, being a veritable box office leper for a couple decades now, nostalgia is invaded for this wonderful and horrific film that emerged from 1980, signaling the ending bang of the Golden Age of filmmaking tha had blossomed throughout the

September 27, 2011

Matthew Roe

Super Reviewer

Outside of the few obvious David Lynch moments, you'd barely recognize The Elephant Man as a David Lynch movie. Its a fairly simple if not incredibly sad but beautiful story. The makeup and photography are magnificent as is the acting (especially from John Hurt) was superb. The Elephant Man is also the kind of movie

November 5, 2006

Michael Gildea

Super Reviewer

The Elephant Man Quotes

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1. John Merrick: I am not an animal! I am a human being. I am a man.
– Submitted by Chris P (9 months ago)

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