The Elephant Man: Special Edition

Introduction

In 1979, David Lynch was largely unknown, with only the bizarre Eraserhead to his name. He wrote a script for Ronnie Rocket but no one was interested in it, so he called his friend and asked if there were any screenplays he could direct. The first one that was mentioned was The Elephant Man and the title so affected Lynch that he wasn't interested in anything else and was determined to make the film.

Based on the real life 'elephant man', John Merrick (John Hurt), the film takes place in Victorian London, where Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins), a doctor at the London Hospital hears of a sideshow attraction. He visits the freak show for a private viewing and is struck by the deformities on Merrick's body and wants to study him further, but Merrick's boss refuses. Merrick takes ill and Treves admits him to the hospital, where he discovers to his surprise that the freak is actually a highly articulate and well educated man.

Some staff are shocked and horrified, but the night porter (Michael Elphick) organises clandestine viewings for the proles, while Treves introduces Merrick to society figures through the day.

Video

The Elephant Man is beautifully filmed by Freddie Francis, using all his knowledge of filters, lenses, lighting and locations to create a convincing portrayal of Victorian London. The special make up effects on John Hurt are incredible and extremely faithful to the real Merrick's appearance.

The film does not look nearly 30 years old and has aged very well, with a good transfer showing what a great looking film it is.

Audio

The Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo soundtrack is perfectly fine, though it's a shame no subtitling has been made. The score is wonderful and the use of Barber's 'Adagio for Strings' at the end was an inspired choice.

Inexplicably, there are no subtitles - practically a given feature of a DVD - especially when you consider the Momentum release from 2001 had several subtitle options.

Extra Features

Jonathan Evans, the archivist at the Royal London Hospital Museum, tells you everything you need to know in the featurette 'Joseph Merrick: The Real Elephant Man', which runs for 20 minutes.

The 20 minute interview with John Hurt is interesting and informative, covering filming through to Oscar night.

The 24 minute David Lynch interview is similarly revealing about his involvement in the project.

Conclusion

Even if you've never seen The Elephant Man, you've probably heard of it and the phrase " I am not an animal! I am a human being! I...am...a man!". John Hurt is immense, portraying a character full of such sadness, determination and joy that you really feel for John Merrick's plight. Anthony Hopkins delivers one of his finest performances, his first encounter with Merrick shown as a reaction shot is a brilliant piece of screen acting.

With great cinematography, direction and story, The Elephant Man is a tremendous piece of work and worthy of your attention.