The Elephant Man (1980)

User Rating:

8.4/10   

Director:

David Lynch

Writers:

Christopher De Vore (screenplay) &
Eric Bergren (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

10 October 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History

Tagline:

I am not an animal! I am a human being! I...am...a man!

Plot:

A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man who is mistreated while scraping a living as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous facade, there is revealed a person of intelligence and sensitivity.

Plot Keywords:

Freak | 19th Century | Dignity | Period Drama | Expressionism

Awards:

Nominated for 8 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Anthony Hopkins	...	Frederick Treves
John Hurt	...	John Merrick
Anne Bancroft	...	Mrs. Kendal
John Gielgud	...	Carr Gomm
Wendy Hiller	...	Mothershead
Freddie Jones	...	Bytes
Michael Elphick	...	Night Porter
Hannah Gordon	...	Mrs. Treves
Helen Ryan	...	Princess Alex
John Standing	...	Fox
Dexter Fletcher	...	Bytes' Boy
Lesley Dunlop	...	Nora
Phoebe Nicholls	...	Merrick's Mother
Pat Gorman	...	Fairground Bobby
Claire Davenport	...	Fat Lady

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | Iceland:LH | Italy:VM14 | Spain:T | USA:PG (Approved No.26063) | Denmark:11 | Israel:PG | Netherlands:12 | South Africa:PG | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Brazil:10 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A | Finland:K-16 | Ireland:12 | Norway:16 (original rating) | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:AA (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Broadgate, London, England, UK

Company:

Brooksfilms

Trivia:

Originally offered to Terrence Malick but he passed.

Goofs:

Continuity: In nearly every scene, John Hurt's make-up changes in some way.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Skeleton Man: Get rid of them! I don't want to see them!
Fat Lady: Darling, don't be difficult! Let's take our sweet lovely children on an outing.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Batman Returns (1992)

Soundtrack:

Adagio For Strings

i'm speechless

I just watched this movie last night and i must say... it touched me in a way no other movie has... some of the scenes even brought me to tears, which has never happened to me before.... John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins are simple incredible, and this movie is just filled with unforgettable scenes....

but like some people have mentioned here before, it is an incredibly hard movie to watch, especially after you realize what a sweet, kind, smart and innocent man John Merrick was, it is often painful to watch the way he's treated by some people, and like Hopkins says after he sees him for the first time "I pray to god that he's an idiot", sadly, he is everything but that...

10/10, no question