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The Elephant Man (film)
Encyclopedia
The Elephant Man is a 1980 American drama film
based on the true story of Joseph Merrick
(called John Merrick in the film), a severely deformed man in 19th century London
. The film was directed by David Lynch
and stars John Hurt
, Anthony Hopkins
, Anne Bancroft
, John Gielgud
, Wendy Hiller
, Michael Elphick
, Hannah Gordon
, and Freddie Jones
.
The screenplay was adapted by Lynch, Christopher De Vore, and Eric Bergren from the books The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences (1923) by Sir Frederick Treves
and The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity by Ashley Montagu
. It was shot in black-and-white
.
The Elephant Man was a critical and commercial success, and received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture
in 1980.
(Anthony Hopkins
), a surgeon at the London Hospital
, discovers John Merrick
(John Hurt
) in a Victorian
freak show
in London's East End, where he is managed by the brutish Bytes (Freddie Jones
). Merrick is so deformed that he must wear a hood and cap when in public, and Bytes claims he is an imbecile
. Treves is professionally intrigued by Merrick's condition and pays Bytes to bring him to the Hospital so that he can examine him. There, Treves presents Merrick to his colleagues in a lecture theatre, displaying him as a physiological curiosity. Treves draws attention to Merrick's most life-threatening deformity, his oversized skull
, which compels him to sleep with his head resting upon his knees, as the weight of his skull would asphyxiate him if he were to ever lie down. On Merrick's return, Bytes beats him so severely that a sympathetic apprentice (Dexter Fletcher
) alerts Treves, who returns him to the hospital. Bytes accuses Treves of likewise exploiting Merrick for his own ends, leading the surgeon to resolve to do what he can to help the unfortunate man.
The ward nurses are horrified by Merrick's appearance, so Treves places him in a quarantine
room under the watchful care of the formidable matron, Mrs. Mothershead (Wendy Hiller
). Mr. Carr-Gomm (John Gielgud
), the hospital's Governor, is reluctant to house Merrick (who has thus far remained mute
), as the hospital is not designed as a residence for "incurables". To persuade Carr-Gomm that Merrick has potential, Treves coaches him to recite a few polite phrases. Carr-Gomm sees through the ruse, but as he walks away, both men are astonished to hear Merrick recite the 23rd Psalm
. Shocked by this display of intelligence, Carr-Gomm allows Merrick to remain.
Merrick is gradually revealed to be sophisticated and articulate. Carr-Gomm arranges a suite of rooms for him to reside in at the hospital, and Merrick passes his days reading, drawing and making a model of a church visible through his window. One day, Treves brings him to take afternoon tea at home together with his wife, Ann (Hannah Gordon
). Merrick, overwhelmed by the familial love he perceives in the domesticity about him, shows them his most treasured possession, a picture of his mother, and expresses his wish that she would love him if she could only see what "lovely friends" he now has. Later, Merrick begins to receive society visitors in his rooms, including the celebrated actress Madge Kendal
(Anne Bancroft
). He becomes a popular object of curiosity and charity to high society. As these connections and visits increase, Mrs. Mothershead (who has charge of Merrick's daily care) complains to Treves that he is still being treated as a freak show attraction, albeit in a more upper class, celebrated style. For Treves' part, this observation (and his role in this situation) deeply trouble him, and he begins to question whether or not he has done the right thing. And while Merrick is treated well during the daytime, the Night Porter (Michael Elphick
) secretly makes money by bringing punters from nearby pubs to gawk at Merrick.
Threatened dissent at a board meeting toward the decision to keep Merrick indefinitely is overturned when the hospital's Royal Patron — HRH The Princess of Wales
— pays a surprise visit with a message from Queen Victoria, stating that Merrick will receive permanent care at the hospital and the necessary funds have been arranged. But Merrick is then returned to his old life when Bytes gains access to his room during one of the Night Porter's late-night "viewings". Bytes abducts Merrick to continental Europe
, where he is once again put on show and subjected to cruelty and neglect. Treves, consumed with guilt over Merrick's plight, takes action against the night porter with the help of Mrs. Mothershead.
Merrick escapes with the help of his fellow freak show attractions, and makes it back to London. However, he is harassed by a group of boys at Liverpool Street station
, and accidentally knocks down a young girl. He is chased, unmasked, and cornered by an angry mob, at which point he cries out: "I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being! I ... am ... a ... man!", before collapsing. When the police return Merrick to the hospital, he is reinstated to his rooms. He recovers a little but it is soon clear he is dying from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
. As a treat, Mrs. Kendal arranges an evening at the musical theatre. Resplendent in white tie, he rises in the Royal Box to an ovation, having had the performance dedicated to him from Mrs Kendal. That night, back at the hospital, Merrick thanks Treves for all he has done and finishes his model of the nearby church. Imitating one of his sketches on the wall—a sleeping child—he removes the pillows that have allowed him to sleep in an upright position, lies down on his bed and dies, consoled by a vision of his mother, Mary Jane Merrick
, quoting Alfred Lord Tennyson's "Nothing will Die".
and at the railway station took place before Merrick was admitted to Treves' hospital, not afterward, and Merrick traveled to Belgium of his own accord, because freak shows had been made illegal in Britain. Merrick was not "rescued" by Treves
from a sadistic carnival proprietor, but rather freely approached the doctor with a written note requesting his care. The film's chief antagonist, Bytes, is a conflation of Merrick's three managers Tom Norman
, Sam Roper and Joe Ferarri.
The screenplay perpetuates several myths about Merrick because it was written before the publication of Peter Ford and Michael Howell's The True History of the Elephant Man
(1980), which revealed a wealth of new information. For example, the film refers to Merrick as "John", which Treves had erroneously used instead of his true name "Joseph". Ford and Howell also showed that there is no evidence that Merrick was abuse
d while working at the British freak show; indeed, Merrick had saved up a great deal of money from the wages he had earned while working there and considered the freak show coordinator a close friend.
Due to the constrictive deformity
of his mouth, Merrick was never able to speak as clearly as in the film, and Treves often had to act as his interpreter for visitors. Those who knew him well, such as hospital staff and friends, grew accustomed to his impeded speech but it remained indistinct and worsened as his condition deteriorated.
, who had been impressed by Lynch's earlier film Eraserhead
at a private screening. Brooks made sure that his name was not used in the marketing and promotion of the film because he did not want fans to expect that the film would be a comedy. It was Lynch's second feature film, and his first studio film.
Hurt's makeup was made from casts of Merrick's body, which had been preserved in the private museum of the Royal London Hospital
. Lynch originally attempted to do the make-up himself, but the results were not filmable. The final make-up was devised by Christopher Tucker. It was so convincing that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
— which had earlier refused to give a special award to Tucker's work on The Elephant Man and received a barrage of complaints — was prompted to create a new category for Best Make-up for the Oscars
.
In addition to writing and directing the film, Lynch provided the musical direction and sound design. During its depiction of the final moments of Merrick's life, the film uses "Adagio for Strings
" by Samuel Barber
.
Actor Frederick Treves
, great-nephew of the surgeon, appears in the opening sequences as an Alderman trying to close down the freak show.
. Vincent Canby
wrote: "Mr. Hurt is truly remarkable. It can't be easy to act under such a heavy mask... the physical production is beautiful, especially Freddie Francis's black-and-white photography. Conversely, Roger Ebert
awarded the film 2/4 stars, writing: "I kept asking myself what the film was really trying to say about the human condition as reflected by John Merrick, and I kept drawing blanks."
In her book The Spectacle of Deformity: Freak Shows and Modern British Culture, Nadja Durbach said that the film was "much more mawkish and moralizing than one would expect from the leading postmodern surrealist filmmaker", and that it was "unashamedly sentimental". She blamed this sentimentality on Lynch's reliance on Frederick Treves' memoirs as source material.
StudioCanal Collection.
for Best Picture
, Actor in a Leading Role
(John Hurt), Art Direction-Set Decoration
(Stuart Craig
, Robert Cartwright
, Hugh Scaife
), Costume Design
, Director
, Film Editing
, Music: Original Score
, and Writing: Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium
. However, the film did not win any.
It won the BAFTA Award for Best Film
, as well as other BAFTA Awards
for Best Actor (John Hurt) and Best Production Design, and was nominated for four others: Direction, Screenplay, Cinematography, and Editing.
It was listed on Entertainment Weekly
s "Saddest Moments" list. In 2006, the film was listed in a televised Australia
n series 20 to 1
countdown celebrating "Great Movie One-Liners"; the line featured was the iconic "I am not an animal! I am a human being! I am... a man!"
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
based on the true story of Joseph Merrick
Joseph Merrick
Joseph Carey Merrick , sometimes incorrectly referred to as John Merrick, was an English man with severe deformities who was exhibited as a human curiosity named the Elephant Man. He became well known in London society after he went to live at the London Hospital...
(called John Merrick in the film), a severely deformed man in 19th century London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The film was directed by David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
and stars John Hurt
John Hurt
John Vincent Hurt, CBE is an English actor, known for his leading roles as John Merrick in The Elephant Man, Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, Mr. Braddock in The Hit, Stephen Ward in Scandal, Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant and An Englishman in New York...
, Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, KBE , best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television...
, Anne Bancroft
Anne Bancroft
Anne Bancroft was an American actress associated with the Method acting school, which she had studied under Lee Strasberg....
, John Gielgud
John Gielgud
Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH was an English actor, director, and producer. A descendant of the renowned Terry acting family, he achieved early international acclaim for his youthful, emotionally expressive Hamlet which broke box office records on Broadway in 1937...
, Wendy Hiller
Wendy Hiller
Dame Wendy Margaret Hiller DBE was an Academy Award-winning English film and stage actress, who enjoyed a varied acting career that spanned nearly sixty years. The writer Joel Hirschorn, in his 1984 compilation Rating the Movie Stars, described her as "a no-nonsense actress who literally took...
, Michael Elphick
Michael Elphick
Michael John Elphick was an English actor. Elphick was known in the UK for his trademark croaky voice and his work on British television, in particular his roles as the eponymous private investigator in the ITV series Boon and later Harry Slater in BBC's EastEnders.Robust and ruggedly good-looking...
, Hannah Gordon
Hannah Gordon
Hannah Cambell Grant Gordon is a Scottish actress who is well known in the United Kingdom for her television work, including Upstairs, Downstairs, Telford's Change, My Wife Next Door, Joint Account and an appearance in the final episode of One Foot in the Grave.-Early life:Gordon was born in...
, and Freddie Jones
Freddie Jones
Frederick Charles "Freddie" Jones is an English character actor.Jones was born in the town of Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, the son of Ida Elizabeth and Charles Edward Jones. He became an actor after ten years of working as a laboratory assistant with a firm making ceramic products,...
.
The screenplay was adapted by Lynch, Christopher De Vore, and Eric Bergren from the books The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences (1923) by Sir Frederick Treves
Sir Frederick Treves, 1st Baronet
Sir Frederick Treves, 1st Baronet, GCVO, CH, CB was a prominent British surgeon of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, now most famous for his friendship with Joseph Merrick, "the Elephant Man".-Eminent surgeon:...
and The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity by Ashley Montagu
Ashley Montagu
Montague Francis Ashley Montagu was a British-American anthropologist and humanist, of Jewish ancestry, who popularized topics such as race and gender and their relation to politics and development...
. It was shot in black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
.
The Elephant Man was a critical and commercial success, and received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
in 1980.
Plot
Frederick TrevesSir Frederick Treves, 1st Baronet
Sir Frederick Treves, 1st Baronet, GCVO, CH, CB was a prominent British surgeon of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, now most famous for his friendship with Joseph Merrick, "the Elephant Man".-Eminent surgeon:...
(Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, KBE , best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television...
), a surgeon at the London Hospital
Royal London Hospital
The Royal London Hospital was founded in September 1740 and was originally named The London Infirmary. The name changed to The London Hospital in 1748 and then to The Royal London Hospital on its 250th anniversary in 1990. The first patients were treated at a house in Featherstone Street,...
, discovers John Merrick
Joseph Merrick
Joseph Carey Merrick , sometimes incorrectly referred to as John Merrick, was an English man with severe deformities who was exhibited as a human curiosity named the Elephant Man. He became well known in London society after he went to live at the London Hospital...
(John Hurt
John Hurt
John Vincent Hurt, CBE is an English actor, known for his leading roles as John Merrick in The Elephant Man, Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, Mr. Braddock in The Hit, Stephen Ward in Scandal, Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant and An Englishman in New York...
) in a Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
freak show
Freak show
A freak show is an exhibition of biological rarities, referred to as "freaks of nature". Typical features would be physically unusual humans, such as those uncommonly large or small, those with both male and female secondary sexual characteristics, people with other extraordinary diseases and...
in London's East End, where he is managed by the brutish Bytes (Freddie Jones
Freddie Jones
Frederick Charles "Freddie" Jones is an English character actor.Jones was born in the town of Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, the son of Ida Elizabeth and Charles Edward Jones. He became an actor after ten years of working as a laboratory assistant with a firm making ceramic products,...
). Merrick is so deformed that he must wear a hood and cap when in public, and Bytes claims he is an imbecile
Imbecile
Imbecile is a term for moderate to severe mental retardation, as well as for a type of criminal. It arises from the Latin word imbecillus, meaning weak, or weak-minded. "Imbecile" was once applied to people with an IQ of 26-50, between "moron" and "idiot" .The term was further refined into mental...
. Treves is professionally intrigued by Merrick's condition and pays Bytes to bring him to the Hospital so that he can examine him. There, Treves presents Merrick to his colleagues in a lecture theatre, displaying him as a physiological curiosity. Treves draws attention to Merrick's most life-threatening deformity, his oversized skull
Human skull
The human skull is a bony structure, skeleton, that is in the human head and which supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.In humans, the adult skull is normally made up of 22 bones...
, which compels him to sleep with his head resting upon his knees, as the weight of his skull would asphyxiate him if he were to ever lie down. On Merrick's return, Bytes beats him so severely that a sympathetic apprentice (Dexter Fletcher
Dexter Fletcher
Dexter Fletcher is an English actor. He is best known for his role in Guy Ritchie film, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels as well as television roles in such shows as the dramedy Hotel Babylon, the critically acclaimed HBO series Band of Brothers and earlier in his career, the children's show...
) alerts Treves, who returns him to the hospital. Bytes accuses Treves of likewise exploiting Merrick for his own ends, leading the surgeon to resolve to do what he can to help the unfortunate man.
The ward nurses are horrified by Merrick's appearance, so Treves places him in a quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
room under the watchful care of the formidable matron, Mrs. Mothershead (Wendy Hiller
Wendy Hiller
Dame Wendy Margaret Hiller DBE was an Academy Award-winning English film and stage actress, who enjoyed a varied acting career that spanned nearly sixty years. The writer Joel Hirschorn, in his 1984 compilation Rating the Movie Stars, described her as "a no-nonsense actress who literally took...
). Mr. Carr-Gomm (John Gielgud
John Gielgud
Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH was an English actor, director, and producer. A descendant of the renowned Terry acting family, he achieved early international acclaim for his youthful, emotionally expressive Hamlet which broke box office records on Broadway in 1937...
), the hospital's Governor, is reluctant to house Merrick (who has thus far remained mute
Muteness
Muteness or mutism is an inability to speak caused by a speech disorder. The term originates from the Latin word mutus, meaning "silent".-Causes:...
), as the hospital is not designed as a residence for "incurables". To persuade Carr-Gomm that Merrick has potential, Treves coaches him to recite a few polite phrases. Carr-Gomm sees through the ruse, but as he walks away, both men are astonished to hear Merrick recite the 23rd Psalm
Psalm 23
In the 23rd Psalm in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, the writer describes God as his Shepherd. The text, beloved by Jews and Christians alike, is often alluded to in popular media and has been set to music....
. Shocked by this display of intelligence, Carr-Gomm allows Merrick to remain.
Merrick is gradually revealed to be sophisticated and articulate. Carr-Gomm arranges a suite of rooms for him to reside in at the hospital, and Merrick passes his days reading, drawing and making a model of a church visible through his window. One day, Treves brings him to take afternoon tea at home together with his wife, Ann (Hannah Gordon
Hannah Gordon
Hannah Cambell Grant Gordon is a Scottish actress who is well known in the United Kingdom for her television work, including Upstairs, Downstairs, Telford's Change, My Wife Next Door, Joint Account and an appearance in the final episode of One Foot in the Grave.-Early life:Gordon was born in...
). Merrick, overwhelmed by the familial love he perceives in the domesticity about him, shows them his most treasured possession, a picture of his mother, and expresses his wish that she would love him if she could only see what "lovely friends" he now has. Later, Merrick begins to receive society visitors in his rooms, including the celebrated actress Madge Kendal
Madge Kendal
Dame Madge Kendal GBE , born as Margaret Shafto Robertson, was an English actress of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, best known for her roles in Shakespeare and English comedies. Together with her husband, W. H...
(Anne Bancroft
Anne Bancroft
Anne Bancroft was an American actress associated with the Method acting school, which she had studied under Lee Strasberg....
). He becomes a popular object of curiosity and charity to high society. As these connections and visits increase, Mrs. Mothershead (who has charge of Merrick's daily care) complains to Treves that he is still being treated as a freak show attraction, albeit in a more upper class, celebrated style. For Treves' part, this observation (and his role in this situation) deeply trouble him, and he begins to question whether or not he has done the right thing. And while Merrick is treated well during the daytime, the Night Porter (Michael Elphick
Michael Elphick
Michael John Elphick was an English actor. Elphick was known in the UK for his trademark croaky voice and his work on British television, in particular his roles as the eponymous private investigator in the ITV series Boon and later Harry Slater in BBC's EastEnders.Robust and ruggedly good-looking...
) secretly makes money by bringing punters from nearby pubs to gawk at Merrick.
Threatened dissent at a board meeting toward the decision to keep Merrick indefinitely is overturned when the hospital's Royal Patron — HRH The Princess of Wales
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
— pays a surprise visit with a message from Queen Victoria, stating that Merrick will receive permanent care at the hospital and the necessary funds have been arranged. But Merrick is then returned to his old life when Bytes gains access to his room during one of the Night Porter's late-night "viewings". Bytes abducts Merrick to continental Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, where he is once again put on show and subjected to cruelty and neglect. Treves, consumed with guilt over Merrick's plight, takes action against the night porter with the help of Mrs. Mothershead.
Merrick escapes with the help of his fellow freak show attractions, and makes it back to London. However, he is harassed by a group of boys at Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
, and accidentally knocks down a young girl. He is chased, unmasked, and cornered by an angry mob, at which point he cries out: "I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being! I ... am ... a ... man!", before collapsing. When the police return Merrick to the hospital, he is reinstated to his rooms. He recovers a little but it is soon clear he is dying from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , also known as chronic obstructive lung disease , chronic obstructive airway disease , chronic airflow limitation and chronic obstructive respiratory disease , is the co-occurrence of chronic bronchitis and emphysema, a pair of commonly co-existing diseases...
. As a treat, Mrs. Kendal arranges an evening at the musical theatre. Resplendent in white tie, he rises in the Royal Box to an ovation, having had the performance dedicated to him from Mrs Kendal. That night, back at the hospital, Merrick thanks Treves for all he has done and finishes his model of the nearby church. Imitating one of his sketches on the wall—a sleeping child—he removes the pillows that have allowed him to sleep in an upright position, lies down on his bed and dies, consoled by a vision of his mother, Mary Jane Merrick
Mary Jane Merrick
Mary Jane Merricks' date of birth has been given erroneously as 19 May 1837, but new records show she was born on 20 November, 1836 and died 19 May, 1873). She was the mother of a well known 19th century historical figure called Joseph Carey Merrick, better known as The Elephant Man.There are not...
, quoting Alfred Lord Tennyson's "Nothing will Die".
Historical accuracy
The film is based on historical events, but makes numerous changes to recorded fact. For example, the incidents in BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and at the railway station took place before Merrick was admitted to Treves' hospital, not afterward, and Merrick traveled to Belgium of his own accord, because freak shows had been made illegal in Britain. Merrick was not "rescued" by Treves
Trèves
-France:Trèves is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Trèves, in the Rhône department* Trèves, in the Gard department* Trèves, former commune of the Maine-et-Loire department, now part of Chênehutte-Trèves-Cunault...
from a sadistic carnival proprietor, but rather freely approached the doctor with a written note requesting his care. The film's chief antagonist, Bytes, is a conflation of Merrick's three managers Tom Norman
Tom Norman
Thomas Noakes, later known as Tom Norman, was an English businessman and showman. He started his working life as a butcher in Sussex and at 17 moved to London. After viewing an exhibition of an "Electric Lady" next door to his place of work, he went into business with the lady's manager and began...
, Sam Roper and Joe Ferarri.
The screenplay perpetuates several myths about Merrick because it was written before the publication of Peter Ford and Michael Howell's The True History of the Elephant Man
The True History of the Elephant Man
The True History of the Elephant Man is a biography of Joseph Merrick written by Michael Howell and Peter Ford. It was published in 1980 in London, by Allison & Busby. It was distributed in the United States by Schocken Books. A second edition was published in 1983...
(1980), which revealed a wealth of new information. For example, the film refers to Merrick as "John", which Treves had erroneously used instead of his true name "Joseph". Ford and Howell also showed that there is no evidence that Merrick was abuse
Physical abuse
Physical abuse is abuse involving contact intended to cause feelings of intimidation, injury, or other physical suffering or bodily harm.-Forms of physical abuse:*Striking*Punching*Belting*Pushing, pulling*Slapping*Whipping*Striking with an object...
d while working at the British freak show; indeed, Merrick had saved up a great deal of money from the wages he had earned while working there and considered the freak show coordinator a close friend.
Due to the constrictive deformity
Deformity
A deformity, dysmorphism, or dysmorphic feature is a major difference in the shape of body part or organ compared to the average shape of that part.Deformity may arise from numerous causes:*A Genetic mutation*Damage to the fetus or uterus...
of his mouth, Merrick was never able to speak as clearly as in the film, and Treves often had to act as his interpreter for visitors. Those who knew him well, such as hospital staff and friends, grew accustomed to his impeded speech but it remained indistinct and worsened as his condition deteriorated.
Production
The film was produced by Mel BrooksMel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
, who had been impressed by Lynch's earlier film Eraserhead
Eraserhead
Eraserhead is a 1977 American surrealist film and the first feature film of David Lynch, who wrote, produced and directed. Lynch began working on the film at the AFI Conservatory, which gave him a $10,000 grant to make the film after he had begun working there following his 1971 move to Los Angeles...
at a private screening. Brooks made sure that his name was not used in the marketing and promotion of the film because he did not want fans to expect that the film would be a comedy. It was Lynch's second feature film, and his first studio film.
Hurt's makeup was made from casts of Merrick's body, which had been preserved in the private museum of the Royal London Hospital
Royal London Hospital
The Royal London Hospital was founded in September 1740 and was originally named The London Infirmary. The name changed to The London Hospital in 1748 and then to The Royal London Hospital on its 250th anniversary in 1990. The first patients were treated at a house in Featherstone Street,...
. Lynch originally attempted to do the make-up himself, but the results were not filmable. The final make-up was devised by Christopher Tucker. It was so convincing that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
— which had earlier refused to give a special award to Tucker's work on The Elephant Man and received a barrage of complaints — was prompted to create a new category for Best Make-up for the Oscars
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
.
In addition to writing and directing the film, Lynch provided the musical direction and sound design. During its depiction of the final moments of Merrick's life, the film uses "Adagio for Strings
Adagio for Strings
Adagio for Strings is a work by Samuel Barber, arranged for string orchestra from the second movement of his String Quartet, Op. 11. Barber finished the arrangement in 1936, the same year as he wrote the quartet...
" by Samuel Barber
Samuel Barber
Samuel Osborne Barber II was an American composer of orchestral, opera, choral, and piano music. His Adagio for Strings is his most popular composition and widely considered a masterpiece of modern classical music...
.
Actor Frederick Treves
Frederick Treves (actor)
Frederick William Treves BEM, is an English character actor with an extensive repertoire, specialising in avuncular military and titled types....
, great-nephew of the surgeon, appears in the opening sequences as an Alderman trying to close down the freak show.
Reception
The Elephant Man received an enthusiastic critical response, with a 91% "fresh" rating on review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby was an American film critic who became the chief film critic for The New York Times in 1969 and reviewed more than 1000 films during his tenure there.-Life and career:...
wrote: "Mr. Hurt is truly remarkable. It can't be easy to act under such a heavy mask... the physical production is beautiful, especially Freddie Francis's black-and-white photography. Conversely, Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
awarded the film 2/4 stars, writing: "I kept asking myself what the film was really trying to say about the human condition as reflected by John Merrick, and I kept drawing blanks."
In her book The Spectacle of Deformity: Freak Shows and Modern British Culture, Nadja Durbach said that the film was "much more mawkish and moralizing than one would expect from the leading postmodern surrealist filmmaker", and that it was "unashamedly sentimental". She blamed this sentimentality on Lynch's reliance on Frederick Treves' memoirs as source material.
Home media
There have been many releases of the film on both VHS and DVD. The version released as part of the David Lynch Lime Green Box includes several interviews with John Hurt and David Lynch as well as an extensive documentary on the life of Joseph Merrick entitled The Real Elephant Man. This material is also available on the exclusive treatment on the European market as part of Optimum'sOptimum Releasing
StudioCanal UK is a film distributor company working in the UK and Ireland. The company releases many films, including foreign language films, anime releases such as Studio Ghibli's films and independent British, Irish and American films in the UK and sometimes Ireland.Optimum was acquired by...
StudioCanal Collection.
Awards and media listings
The Elephant Man was nominated for Academy AwardsAcademy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
, Actor in a Leading Role
Academy Award for Best Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
(John Hurt), Art Direction-Set Decoration
Academy Award for Best Art Direction
The Academy Awards are the oldest awards ceremony for achievements in motion pictures. The Academy Award for Best Art Direction recognizes achievement in art direction on a film. The films below are listed with their production year, so the Oscar 2000 for best art direction went to a film from 1999...
(Stuart Craig
Stuart Craig
Norman Stuart Craig OBE is a noted British production designer.He has also designed the sets, together with his frequent collaborator set decorator Stephanie McMillan, on all of the Harry Potter film series films to date. At Potter author J. K...
, Robert Cartwright
Robert Cartwright
Robert Cartwright was an art director. He was nominated for four Academy Awards in the category Best Art Direction.-Selected filmography:Cartwright was nominated for four Academy Awards for Best Art Direction:* Becket * Scrooge...
, Hugh Scaife
Hugh Scaife
Hugh Scaife was a British set decorator. He was nominated for three Academy Awards in the category Best Art Direction.-Selected filmography:Scaife was nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Art Direction:...
), Costume Design
Academy Award for Costume Design
The Academy Award for Best Costume Design is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for achievement in film costume design....
, Director
Academy Award for Directing
The Academy Award for Achievement in Directing , usually known as the Best Director Oscar, is one of the Awards of Merit presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to directors working in the motion picture industry...
, Film Editing
Academy Award for Film Editing
The Academy Award for Film Editing is one of the annual awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Nominations for this award are closely correlated with the Academy Award for Best Picture. Since 1981, every film selected as Best Picture has also been nominated for the Film Editing...
, Music: Original Score
Academy Award for Original Music Score
The Academy Award for Original Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer.-Superlatives:...
, and Writing: Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium
Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay
The Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent film awards in the United States. It is awarded each year to the writer of a screenplay adapted from another source...
. However, the film did not win any.
It won the BAFTA Award for Best Film
BAFTA Award for Best Film
This page lists the winners and nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Film, BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language and Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film for each year, in addition to the retired earlier versions of those awards...
, as well as other BAFTA Awards
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
for Best Actor (John Hurt) and Best Production Design, and was nominated for four others: Direction, Screenplay, Cinematography, and Editing.
It was listed on Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
s "Saddest Moments" list. In 2006, the film was listed in a televised Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n series 20 to 1
20 to 1
20 to 1 is an Australian television series, currently hosted by Bert Newton that counts down an undefined "top 20" of elements or events of popular culture, such as films, songs, sporting scandals. Previously the show was hosted by Charles "Bud" Tingwell and narrated by David Reyne...
countdown celebrating "Great Movie One-Liners"; the line featured was the iconic "I am not an animal! I am a human being! I am... a man!"
External links
- Time Out magazine interviews David Lynch about the film