The Elephant Man
Paramount Pictures | Release Date: October 10, 1980
8.5
USER SCORE
Universal acclaim based on 75 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
69
Mixed:
5
Negative:
1
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User Reviews

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6
Gamzguy17Aug 21, 2021
It's a well-made film, complete with Lynch's artistic cinematography synced with carefully articulated sounds. Both Hurt and Hopkins are an effective duo, portraying a believable friendship based (loosely) on the real life events of JohnIt's a well-made film, complete with Lynch's artistic cinematography synced with carefully articulated sounds. Both Hurt and Hopkins are an effective duo, portraying a believable friendship based (loosely) on the real life events of John Merrick during the mid/late 1800s. Here's the problem, the film goes down the predictable, at times cliché Hollywood, route by telling an ugly duckling story instead of letting us, the audience, truly understand what made Merrick a remarkable man. All in all, it's great style marred by disappointing substance.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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9
Steven1981May 22, 2020
A fairly good film, I watched it thinking it was going to be a mixture of Eraserhead and The Fly and the reason being we know this dude was deformed and hideous plus it was black and white like Eraserhead and David Lynch made it however I wasA fairly good film, I watched it thinking it was going to be a mixture of Eraserhead and The Fly and the reason being we know this dude was deformed and hideous plus it was black and white like Eraserhead and David Lynch made it however I was wrong... Made in 1980 by director David Lynch "The Elephant Man" is a historical drama movie made in black and white and portrays the life of Joseph Merrick who was a deformed figure and somewhat unwanted by many people yet accepted by many others. In the film we see the struggles, we see love, acceptance and at times it's emotional but also at times nasty but only towards the Elephant Man in a cruel manner. It's a fairly beautiful film and great acting from Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt who plays John/Joseph Merrick aka The Elephant Man who I think was diagnosed with Proteus syndrome in real life but not sure and I think this is what caused his deformity.… Expand
2 of 6 users found this helpful24
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8
MATMMar 21, 2021
This is the David Lynch one. Every shot in “The Elephant Man” is gorgeous. I am not going to try to convince you that the story is told in the most compelling way, but the man whose life is the basis for the movie is fascinating, and theThis is the David Lynch one. Every shot in “The Elephant Man” is gorgeous. I am not going to try to convince you that the story is told in the most compelling way, but the man whose life is the basis for the movie is fascinating, and the story does do an excellent job of distilling meaning from his tale. I give it a B, next time you’re in the mood for a movie, this one won’t disappoint.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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9
AndremaxJun 17, 2019
Elephant Man is a kinda normalized piece for Lynch's surrealism standard, having only lapses of it in some scenes, but is still a too touching and gorgeous film to be trowed away.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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10
kyle20ellisMar 26, 2022
You have got to love the Elephant Man. There isn't one scene that doesn't move me. It is also underrated, as it is very difficult to find, and is hardly on TV. The cinematography was beautiful, and the subject matter about a doctor treating aYou have got to love the Elephant Man. There isn't one scene that doesn't move me. It is also underrated, as it is very difficult to find, and is hardly on TV. The cinematography was beautiful, and the subject matter about a doctor treating a heavily-disfigured man is so sensitively handled I felt I was there. One of the most moving scenes, was right at the beginning when Treves sees Merrick for the first time, and a tear rolls down his cheek.Extraordinary! The scene with Treve's wife is so sad that I had tears in my eyes for the rest of the movie. When he cries, "I am not an animal, I am a human being," I was actually sobbing. i really was. The ending, with the lovely Adagio for Strings(the only time it has been played well) was so poignant, as was the scene in the theatre, with the Tchaikovsky-like music, and Merrick enjoying himself like a 6 year old boy. The music is very haunting, as made apparent in the crowd scene mocking Merrick in the hospital. Don't criticise the beginning, or the end, because David Lynch was trying to create images of pure sadness and inner beauty, and they were very powerful images. As for the performances, never have I seen Anthony Hopkins more sensitive than he was here(well except for the final scene of Shadowlands). His performance was actually one of the main reasons why this movie is so beautiful. The best performance, without a doubt, is the heart-rending performance of John Hurt as John Merrick. Almost unrecognisable, but so magnificent, especially when he recited the psalm without the help of Treves. It is also incredibly difficult to speak with a lopsided mouth, and John Hurt mastered it. Other notable performances are from Freddie Jones, Anne Bancroft, Michael Elphick and Sir John Gielgud. Anyone who gave this a 1/10, what is wrong with you? This is an absolute masterpiece, without question! 10/10. Bethany Cox… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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10
arrivistJun 4, 2018
Exquisite and harrowing. Truly a biopic worthy of Jospeh Merrick. Thank you David. Thank you Joseph.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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9
amheretojudgeApr 24, 2018
i've tried so hard to be good..

The Elephant Man Despite of having an uncanny resemblance with Frankenstein, it not only stands alone but surpasses the character's innocence and depth to an extent where it is not possible to be moved by iti've tried so hard to be good..

The Elephant Man

Despite of having an uncanny resemblance with Frankenstein, it not only stands alone but surpasses the character's innocence and depth to an extent where it is not possible to be moved by it for its impact grows stronger after each frame as it ages on screen. Having said that, a smart adaptation by Christopher De Vore, Eric Bergren and David Lynch is written explicitly offering enough stage and range to each and every character to factor in effectively, is the key to it. And the rest of it is left on David Lynch; the director, whose brilliant execution ups the ante of the feature and enters it onto the major league. As mentioned earlier, the feature scores majestically on performance objective that is fulfilled satisfactorily by John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins. The Elephant Man is one of those rare features that happened to have everything in the right place like brilliant execution, stellar performance, perfect editing, amazing background score and above all the simplest yet pragmatic ideology that connects instantly to the audience.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
bataguilaOct 8, 2019
Muy dramática, casi llora uno con tanta maldad a ese pobre hombre, y el final igual hace llorar con un detalle mundano. No es disfrutable, es sufrible.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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9
DawdlingPoetNov 20, 2021
This is a really thought-provoking film, based on a true story. I had wanted to see it for some time and it lived up to my expectations, with a great, solid performance from both John Hurt as the titular character and Anthony Hopkins, as theThis is a really thought-provoking film, based on a true story. I had wanted to see it for some time and it lived up to my expectations, with a great, solid performance from both John Hurt as the titular character and Anthony Hopkins, as the doctor who comes across him and does his best to help him.

Of course, there are some awkward moments, with Merrick struggling to be heard coherently thanks to his deformed mouth causing him to make quite a lot of sucking and otherwise garbled noises, while he struggles to speak. This may be quite off-putting for some. I can't imagine how anyone couldn't feel some level of sadness or sympathy towards this character though. It's sad how much emphasis society still, even to this day, places on physical appearance. There is some quite touching dialogue. This is a solemn watch, in terms of the themes but its not a visually gory film, with little in the way of actual violence depicted in any real detail. There are some slightly sinister moments but their not gratuitously gory as such. This is a very good film to see, if you want to start a debate about the importance of physical looks in society, I'd say and so I would definitely recommend it.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
mahdimeshkateeNov 28, 2019
such a great movie, a must-watch. it concentrates on emotions and humanity so much, that you definitely feel empathy and makes you think more about existence and life.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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10
AmenhotepMar 23, 2020
A truly superb film in its portrayal of Joseph Merrick, who perfectly demonstrates the inner beauty of the soul over the inconsequential nature of the material. Nothing will die.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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9
geewahApr 25, 2021
By David Lynch's standards this is formulatic but it is by no means boring.
A tale that is as harrowing as it is touching, is led by the brilliant John Hurt in this must see biopic.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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10
HabibiehakimAug 18, 2021
From Lynch weird terrifying film Eraserhead to the incredible yet sad and depressing true story movie that we probably never seen again, with Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt phenomenal performance, added with black and white color that make theFrom Lynch weird terrifying film Eraserhead to the incredible yet sad and depressing true story movie that we probably never seen again, with Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt phenomenal performance, added with black and white color that make the movie more alive and great, overall The Elephant Man is a truly amazing film.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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