80s Movie Review - The Elephant Man

Director: David Lynch
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 124 minutes
Year: 1980
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Freddie Jones, Hannah Gordon

Description: A Victortian surgeon (Anthony Hopkins) rescues a heavily disfigured man (John Hurt) who is mistreated while scraping a living as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous façade, there is revealed a person of kindness, intelligence and sophistication.  

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 29: A FILM THAT’S A CULT CLASSIC
 
Review: While visiting a so-called freak show, surgeon Frederick Treves comes upon the trail of the severely deformed John Merrick. As he gets to know Merrick better, his scientific interest gives way to sympathy.

“The Elephant Man” was produced by none other than comedy icon Mel Brooks. Yet there is little to laugh in this biographical film about the hapless John Merrick. In his own way,  director David Lynch turns Victorian London into a nightmare; a tangle of dark alleys populated by figures all preying on the vulnerable Merrick.

The oppressive atmosphere is enhanced by repeating shots of the old-fashioned machines that launched the industrial revolution. In doing so, Lynch evokes the ideao that there is no room in an industrial process for deviant parts: a sentiment that resonates with the Victorian community. Due to his hideous appearance, Merrick is seen by most as a blemish on society; a defect that does not contribute to the progress of society.

It is understandable that an eccentric filmmaker like Lynch would be drawn to “The Elephant Man”. John Hurt plays Johnn Merrick and this role was a huge ordeal, even for such an experiences actors as Hurt. It took seven hours to apply the make-up and prostetics and another two to remove it. And it looks so realistic. Hurt is unrecognizable and he is excellent. And very well assisted by Anthony Hopkins. In his role as the empathic Frederic Treves he serves as the viewer surrogate. Through Treves, we begin to see John Merrick as a human being rather than a curiosity. When Merrick eventually garners a place in British high society, we share Treves’ sadness at the realization that Merrick will always be defined by his appearance, despite his sophisticated personality.

Filmed in black and white, “The Elephant Man” is an engaging tragedy. With the acting of John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins as highlights and the great direction of Dacid Lynch.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Movie Directors

I know a lot about movies, its stars, genres, you name it. Directors I don't know as much about, but I do know my favorites. Here are my favorite movie directors.

5. Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood has always been a fantastic actor, but in my opinion he’s an even better director. He has a good eye for telling a great story. I love all his movies.

4. David Lynch
David Lynch dares to be different. I wish I could get into his head someday, so I could find out how his mind works. His movies always make you think, more than usual. What seems like average stories turn out to be the most complicated stories ever. And even after seeing the movie you end up in an internal monologue with yourself, trying to figure out what you just saw.

3. Steven Spielberg
Maybe a bit cliché to put him on this list, but I always enjoy a good Spielberg movie. He made some classics like “Jurassic Park”, “Jaws”, “E.T.” and “Schindler’s List” and that’s just some I can come up with right now. They are always a great treat and they garantuee an entertaining night.

2. Ron Howard
Ron Howard started out as a childstar and grew out to be a succesful director. He became an actor so he wouldn’t be typecasted as an actor and he also refused to become a typecast director. Although all of his films are explorations of the human experience, he has ventured into many genres: science fiction, fantasy, epic adventure, romance, comedy, drama, satire.

1. Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino is my go-to-director. He hasn’t done many movies, but the once he made are all great pieces of work. He really takes his time to create a film. I like his controversy, the fantastic dialogues, the memorable characters and his style. Tarantino is one of a kind and I can’t believe he hasn’t won an Oscar yet.

They almost made the top 5: Frank Darabont, Sofia Coppola, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Martin Scorsese, Peter Jackson and The Coen Brothers.

Top 5 Thursday: People I Want to Be for One Day

I've been thinking about this question for a long time. Who would you want to trade places with for one day. I doesn't matter if they are male or female or if they are dead or alive. I came up with these five.

5. Marlon Brando (in the 1950’s)
This was Brando’s best period in my opinion. I would just want to feel how it’s like to be an actor in that time and his acting methods. Because appearantly he wasn’t the easiest person to work with.

4. Dian Fossey
I admire the work she did and how she studied the mountain gorilla’s. It is a dream of mine to see them in the wild some day, so I would want to know how it feels to be Dian.

3. Jane Austen
She is my favorite writer and I love her stories. It’s sad that she only wrote six novels, but I would love to step into her world for one day. How she came up with the love stories, especially “Pride & Prejudice”, the most beloved story of all-time for me.

2. Naomi Watts
Off course I would want to be my favorite actress. She has done so many great movies and I love every single performance. The once in “21 Grams”, “Mulholland Drive”, “King Kong” and “The Painted Veil” are my favorites.

1. David Lynch
He’s not my favorite director, but I would just want to get into his mind. What the hell goes on in there? How did he come up with “Lost Highway”, “Mulholland Drive” and “Twin Peaks”? And I always wondered if everything has a deeper meaning or he just wants people to discuss about his films.

They almost made the top 5: J.K. Rowling, Rachel McAdams and Tom Hanks