>
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. Read critic reviews
What to know
You might also like
See More
Cool Hand Luke
Harold and Maude
Rebel Without a Cause
The Hustler
Shine
Where to watch The Elephant Man
Rent The Elephant Man on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, or buy it on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu.
Rate And Review
-
What did you think of the movie? (optional)
You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.
You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.
What did you think of the movie? (optional)
How did you buy your ticket?
-
Fandango
-
AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew
-
Cinemark Coming Soon
We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.
-
Regal Coming Soon
We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.
-
Theater box office or somewhere else
The Elephant Man videos
The Elephant Man: Official Clip - Why Did I Do It?
The Elephant Man: Official Clip - Loving Kindness
The Elephant Man: Official Clip - This is My Home
The Elephant Man: Official Clip - The Terrible Elephant Man
The Elephant Man: Official Clip - I've Tried So Hard to be Good
The Elephant Man: Official Clip - The Greatest Freak in the World
The Elephant Man: Official Clip - I Want Him Back
The Elephant Man: Official Clip - The Lord is My Shepherd
The Elephant Man: Official Clip - People Are Frightened By What They Don't Understand
The Elephant Man: Official Clip - I Am a Human Being!
The Elephant Man Photos
Movie Info
Dr. Frederic Treves (Anthony Hopkins) discovers Joseph (John) Merrick (John Hurt) in a sideshow. Born with a congenital disorder, Merrick uses his disfigurement to earn a living as the "Elephant Man." Treves brings Merrick into his home, discovering that his rough exterior hides a refined soul, and that Merrick can teach the stodgy British upper class of the time a lesson about dignity. Merrick becomes the toast of London and charms a caring actress (Anne Bancroft) before his death at 27.
-
Rating: PG
-
Genre: Biography, Drama
-
Original Language: English
-
Director: David Lynch
-
Producer: Jonathan Sanger
-
Writer: Sir Frederick Treves, Ashley Montagu, Christopher De Vore, Eric Bergren, David Lynch
-
Release Date (Theaters): original
-
Release Date (Streaming):
-
Runtime:
-
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
-
Production Co: Paramount
-
Sound Mix: Dolby, Surround
-
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)
Cast & Crew
News & Interviews for The Elephant Man
Critic Reviews for The Elephant Man
Audience Reviews for The Elephant Man
-
Having recently enjoyed a critically hailed revival starring Bradley Cooper on Broadway, the 1980 film adaptation of The Elephant Man definitely deserves a revisit. In many regards, The Elephant Man drives home the human factor of morality tales Beauty & the Beast and The Hunchback of Notre Dame better than these adaptations themselves. Certainly, the fact that it's a true story makes your heart beat with more compassion. 'Truth' becomes the operative word, however. Freddie Franciss stark black and white cinematography acts as a truth serum, laying bare these amazing real-life characters creatively licensed by screenwriter Christopher De Vore. As realized by a pre-Silence of the Lambs Anthony Hopkins and an unrecognizable John Hurt (sporting phenomenally realistic make-up by Christopher Tucker), this heartfelt story hits you beat for tender beat. In this PG-rated bio-pic, a Victorian surgeon (Hopkins) rescues a heavily disfigured side-show freak (Hurt), only to discover that behind the deformity exists a man of great intelligence and sensitivity. For his follow-up to the offbeat oddity Eraserhead, David Lynch thankfully mostly takes a straightforward approach, taking you by the hand and effortlessly walking you right into the hospitals and freak shows of Victorian London. Some of his indulgent nightmare sequences ring closer to in tone the surrealist moments of later successes Blue Velvet or Mulholland Drive, but these indiscretions dont entirely kill the drama. Bottom line: Trunk Show Jewel
-
Lynch's involvement is probably what ensured that the film did not come off as mawkish (which would have been a danger with the screenplay), instead it's just plain heartbreaking. All in all it's a worthwhile and effective demand for simple human decency.
-
[img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img]
-
John Hurt is masterful as the title character in the Elephant Man embodying all the anxiety and prejudice faced by individuals due to physical disability. Not given its due by the Oscars, it doesn't get the play that it should on television. It seems like something from the distant past.
Verified