Figure 1: The Elephant Man Poster
Based on the true story of Joseph Merrick, a man who is deformed. Directed by David Lynch.The film set in Victorian 19th century. David Lynch is known about his surrealism. The film starts with sounds and images of an elephant, it shows us the accident that Merrick’s mother had. Frederick Treves, a doctor visits a Freak Show which is known as the Elephant Man and finds John Merrick. “Freddie Francis sublime cinematography portrays London as a nightmarish and dirty world, where, surprisingly, good things can occur, too. It's reminiscent of films such as Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast, mainly due to its odd abstractness and stark contrasts of light and dark.” (Hernandez, 2004).
Treves is shocked by the image of this poor guy and is curious about his deformation. He takes Merrick to the London hospital in order to examine his deformations and diagnose his problems. Treves tries to help John and make him speak to him. He finally manages to make him speak and communicate. From the first scenes we can see that Frederick Treves is emotionally touched by Merrick’s situation. “The film could have chosen to develop the relationship between Merrick and his medical sponsor, Dr. Frederick Treves, along the lines of the bond between doctor and child in Truffaut's The Wild Child.”
(Ebert, 1980).
Figure 2: Treves in tears when he sees for the first time Merrick.
In the first scenes Merrick’s face is not shown in order to suspense the audience .When his face appears to the audience we can see a head twice normal size, a twisted spine, and a useless right arm, shock and sympathy can be felt by the viewers. Hesitation and fear in Merrick’s first interactions he had with the doctor. He is not used to be treated as a normal human. Even Treves does everything he can and helps Merrick to interact with the society the stereotype of people calling him a freak remains.
Figure 3: Merrick's face covered by a cloth in first scenes.in order to suspense the audience.
People even in the hospital use him as a freak show to earn money. The film is all about human and the cost of being deformed. Merrick is gradually revealed to be sophisticated and articulate. He passes the his days in the hospital by reading and drawing and making a model of a church visible through his window. Merrick is known to the higher society and he interacts with many people who want to see him. Merrick begins to receive society visitors in his rooms and becomes a popular object of curiosity and charity to high society. The film in in black and white and contains many dark scenes. Also there are flashbacks about Merrick’s birth and bad memories. “The Elephant Man uses some of the devices of the horror film, including ominous music, sudden cuts that shock, and hints of dark things to come, but it's a very benign horror film, one in which "the creature" is the pursued instead of the pursuer.” (Canby, 1980).
Some of the most effective scenes are simple ones where Merrick is overwhelmed with emotion for having been shown common courtesies that most people take for granted, such as when he is welcomed to the home of Doctor Treves and his wife as a dinner guest, rather than a patient. John Merrick never speaks for himself until the end. When he cries the unforgettable lines "I am not an animal! I am a human being! I am a man!" we know that all the excruciating pain he had gone through had been suffered in silence. In the last scene we see Merrick lying to his bed and removing all his pillows. He always wanted to be treated like a human and he tries to sleep like one. He dies in his sleep because of his head weight. We can feel a relief for him by seeing him peacefully lying in his bed with one pillow. During the whole movie sympathy and sadness can be felt about John’s situation.
Illustration List:
Figure 1: The Elephant Man 1980, David Lynch
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAhxmqjbDs8wmoNSjnpmN2TTTe8tBgCfIsqoKAaWolTqQT69l8Vjw5-ab0P3N1hGKCsGKbbsTDmrUPFF_qcg9KH5wpeVeqDmk4-IywO2dcpdxYP7fs2pxPCKRT60vEgTlRxO0DuxZ4eU/s1600/The-Elephant-Man-1980.jpg
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Figure 2: The Elephant Man 1980, David Lynch
http://cinemasights.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/elephantman-tears.jpg
Accessed ( 17/10/2011)
Figure 3: The Elephant Man 1980, David Lynch
Accessed ( 17/10/2011)
Bigliography:
Pablo, Hernandez (2004) The Elephant Man 1980, David Lynch
Accessed ( 17/10/2011)
Roger, Ebert (1980) The Elephant Man 1980, David Lynch
Accessed ( 17/10/2011)Vincent, Canby (1980) The Elephant Man 1980, David Lynch
Accessed ( 17/10/2011)
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