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Movies / On DVD / The Elephant Man
The Elephant Man

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The Elephant Man (1980)

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91 %
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Reviews Counted: 34

Fresh: 31

Rotten:3

Average Rating: 8.2/10

Runtime: 2 hrs 4 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: David Lynch brings his own dreamlike style to the heartbreaking yet somehow uplifting story of John Merrick (John Hurt), a hideously deformed individual dubbed the Elephant Man during his years in... David Lynch brings his own dreamlike style to the heartbreaking yet somehow uplifting story of John Merrick (John Hurt), a hideously deformed individual dubbed the Elephant Man during his years in a circus freak show in Victorian England. After suffering for years at the hands of his circus "master," the eloquent, soft spoken Merrick is "rescued" by compassionate surgeon Dr. Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins), who allows him to live at the hospital where he works. Merrick becomes a social celebrity when he meets a popular stage performer (Anne Bancroft), but he must continue to fight for his dignity with those who still choose to view him as a freak. Meanwhile, Treves begins to question whether his supposed act of humanity has been just as exploitative as Merrick's former caretaker's. Lynch's follow-up to his 1978 cult classic ERASERHEAD is a seamless blend of art and entertainment, which earned the film eight Academy Award nominations in 1980. Freddie Francis's breathtaking black-and-white cinematography combines with John Morris's score to re-create Victorian England with a deeply haunting beauty. It is the compassionate performances of Hurt and Hopkins that lift THE ELEPHANT MAN to a more emotional level, however, bringing an inspired sadness to Lynch's striking vision. [More]

Starring: John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, John Gielgud, Anne Bancroft

Starring: John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, John Gielgud, Anne Bancroft, Wendy Hiller, Freddie Jones

Director: David Lynch, Jonathan Sanger

Director: David Lynch
Screenwriter: Eric Bergren, Christopher DeVore, David Lynch
Director: Jonathan Sanger
Composer: John Morris

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Dec 11, 2001

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for The Elephant Man

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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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.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
04/30/08
Channel 4 Film

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.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment 1 Comment
04/30/08
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A moving, faithful retelling of a bizarre true story.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
04/30/08
TV Guide's Movie Guide

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

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
04/30/08
Variety Staff
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
04/23/07
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

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

comment Comment
12/14/06
Michael A. Smith
Nolan's Pop Culture Review

Revisiting a terrain similar to Eraserhead, albeit in different style, Lynch exposes undercurrents of metaphysical anguish along with an emotionally accessible tale of Merrick's nobility--a Victorian morality play disguised as an elegy to freakishness

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
06/22/06
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

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

Full Review Source: Cinemania | comment Comment
06/07/06
Dan Jardine
Cinemania

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

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

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

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Tom Milne
Time Out

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

comment Comment
01/06/06
Dan Fienberg
Zap2it.com

No review available.

comment Comment
12/27/05
Mark R. Leeper
rec.arts.movies.reviews

David Lynch does a neat turn with a straight drama.

comment Comment
11/14/05
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

No review available.

comment Comment
09/05/05
Eric Lurio
Greenwich Village Gazette

No review available.

comment Comment
08/24/05
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)

No review available.

comment Comment
07/03/05
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

Spectacular

comment Comment
11/12/04
S. James Wegg
JWR

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.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment 10 Comments
10/23/04
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
03/16/04
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

No review available.

comment Comment
12/23/03
Michelle Alexandria
Eclipse Magazine
 
 
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