THE ELEPHANT MAN (1980) **** John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, Anne Bancroft, Wendy Hiller, Freddie Jones, John Gielgud. David Lynch's masterpiece of the human spirit about the true-life account of John Merrick, a hideously deformed man in England's Victorian Age, who was taken in by a physician after a hellish stint in a freak show. Hurt rises to the occasion and delivers a heart wrenching Oscar nominated performance emoting under tons of make-up to full effect. Equally good is Hopkins in low-key form as the humanitarian doctor. Beautiful black and white photography resonates the production; nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Lynch and Best Picture. Best scenes: Hurt's recital of the 23rd Psalm and his immortal line: "I am not an animal, I am a human being!" Incredibly powerful ending perfectly accentuated by the classical "Adagio For Strings". Dare not to be moved. One of the best. Trivia note, look for little person Kenny Baker during the carnival sequences; he's the guy inside R2-D2 in `Star Wars' and the head bandit in `Time Bandits'.
Review of The Elephant Man
