The recent death of John Hurt lead me to revisit the film “The Elephant Man” while I had not seen in a while. When I first viewed the film, it really upset me how cruel people could be in this world and with it being a true story of Joseph (John) Merrick, it just makes it feel worse.
Merrick was a horribly disfigured man who lived in Leicester before moving to London in the late 1800s, spending the majority of adult life in a freak show where he was brutalised. When Dr. Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins) come across Merrick he saw him purely as a medical exercise, but then develops deeper fondness for him discovers that Merrick is intelligent and can actually talk and read.
The Elephant Man is born with a disease that caused extreme enlargement of his skull, skin outgrowths, a uselessly overgrown right arm, and a mangled spine.
Treves secures a room in the London Hospital when Governor (John Gielgud) eventually agrees to make a room available to house and care for Merrick. He begins to have guests visit him in his room, as he becomes an object of curiosity to high society, including the famous actress Madge Kendal (Anne Bancroft) who introduces him to the work of Shakespeare. Some feel Merrick is continuing to be exploited, worst at night the hospital's night watchman is taking payment to show Merrick to members of the public.
When the board of governors look to rid the hospital of Merrick he was given the greatest support he could ask for, Queen Victoria, who sends word with her daughter-in-law Alexandra Princess of Wales with a message for the governors.
Bytes the owner of the freak show kidnapped Merrick, takes to Europe where later he escapes, and eventually makes his way home. Upon returning to London, he is harassed through Liverpool Street station by several young boys and accidentally knocks down a young girl. Merrick is chased, unmasked, and cornered by an angry mob.
He cries, "I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being! I ... am ... a ... man!" before collapsing.
Reunited with Treves and the hospital he recovers some of his health, but is dying of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. On a trip to the theatre, he sits with the Princess of Wales to see Miss Kendal perform who afterwards, dedicates the performance to him. A proud Merrick receives a standing ovation from the audience.
Back at the hospital, he completes the church model he was building to the sounds of Adagio for Strings looking at a picture of a young boy sleeping. It was something he could not do and it was touching and moving the scene as he reduces the pile of pillows he needs to support is head to just one know what it would mean. It is ruddy heart breaking I remember welling up in the cinema the first time I saw the film – this morning I cried.
John Hurt performs admirably underneath a mountain of make-up, and projects emotion with physical gestures and through a monstrously disfigured face. It does not take long for Hurt's eyes to channel trauma, joy, pain, and longing. Hurt completely overcomes Merrick's deformation and releases the human within. A still svelte Anthony Hopkins gives a complex performance as Dr. Treves, a man who initially just sees in Merrick an opportunity to advance his status.
In the support roles, Freddie Jones, John Gielgud, Anne Bancroft, and Wendy Hiller provide serious depth to the outstanding cast.
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