THE ELEPHANT MAN

US, 1980, 124 minutes, Black and white.
Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Freddie Jones, Michael Elphick, John Standing.
Directed by David Lynch.

The Elephant Man is a compassionate film, inviting us to understand what we don't know: the sensitive personality beneath a freakish deformity, the dignity of the human being. Scenes of man's gross cruelty, scenes of warmth and delight offer worthwhile, uncomfortable experience. John Hurt endows the grotesque-appearing John Merrick with a winning gentility. Anthony Hopkins leads an excellent cast, including Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Freddie Jones, as the ambitious, compassionate Dr. Treves. Young American director, David Lynch uses his more avant garde surrealist black and white visuals and experimental sounds (as in his Eraserhead) to suggest a Dickensian industrial England. Merrick's mother's pregnancy disturbance and his isolation, all within the framework of a commercial feature.

1. The quality of the film, its awards, nominations, box-office success? The popularity of the story in the '70s-'80s? The books, the stage play? The fascination with Victorian England, the industrial revolution, humanity and inhumanity? The focus on the disabled? The screenplay adapting from the biographies and memoirs? Victoriana, psychological study, medical interest, the horror traditions, the 'Sentimental Education'?

2. The work of the director - avant garde material and style, black and white photography, Panavision, the 19th century England atmosphere, sets, decor? The overtones of the post-Dickens period? Poverty and squalor, the cities, industry, machines, hospitals, carnivals? The styles of camera work - overexposure, light and shadow, tracking shots, profiles? The blend of visionary material, dream, reality? The avant garde style adapted to the commercial film: the opening sequences with the suggestions of the elephant walk, Merrick's birth, the vision of an exploding universe, clouds? The inserted dream nightmare sequence in the middle of the film and its echoes of the opening? The vision of stars at the end? The importance of the black and white treatment of the film - light and shadow, silhouettes? The importance of the soundtrack: music, Victorian atmosphere, the theatre, contrasting with electronic noises, machines, engines, emphasised sounds e.g. footsteps in corridors? Voices? The cacophony of noise? (Suggesting the confusion for Merrick himself? The successful blending of avant garde style with popular film? Enhancing the quality of the work?

3. The impact of the prologue: Merrick's explanation that his mother was frightened by a procession of elephants during his pregnancy and fell? The rather larger impression of the elephant walk in the film, Africa, the jungle? Symbolic elephants? The cinematic style to suggest symbol? Mystery, fear, psychological damage, physical damage, deformity? The beauty of Merrick's mother and the audience seeing her picture during the film? The terror of the birth and her reaction, Merrick and his deformity which was external and yet his integrity interiorly? His sensitivity despite his origins? The taking up of the prologue themes during the dream? The ending and the comments about Mrs. Merrick? The significance of the cosmic and visionary overtones in prologue, resumed in the dream, for the finale? Intuitive and mystical type insights rather than rational explanations?

4. How important was it that Merrick's background was not given? No explanation of what his mother had done, how he was abandoned, how he received his education, how he cam to be in the carnival? The audience being surprised at his education and sensitivity? His capacity for love? The importance of the audience not seeing him for the first half hour? The emotional effect on seeing him? The audience sharing Dr. Treves' discovery of the elephant man in the carnival? The importance of the 19th. century carnival world, freaks, curiosity, exhibitionism, humiliation, people as a show? Treves' long walk and the tracking through the carnival paths? The discovery of the Elephant Man Show and the audience reacting in horror? Audience curiosity (making the cinema audience like the screen audience?), Bytes and his exploitation? The police reaction and moving the crowds along? Treves wanting to see the elephant man? Bytes and the boy? Treves and his looking, payment, his tears? The boy sending the message to Treves and Treves rescuing Merrick? His bringing him to the hospital? The preparation for Merrick's arrival at the hospital? The importance of the long sequences of the medical lecture? Treves and his seeming to exploit Merlick as Bytes did? The audience in the lecture hall, the exhibiting of Merrick and the detailed explanation in his presence (and the later irony that he would have understood all this?),, Mrs. Mothershead commenting later about Treves exhibiting Merrick as did Bytes? The applause for Treves after the lecture? His returning the elephant man to the carnival? The audience's introduction to Treves - at the carnival.. seeing him at work as a surgeon - and the discussions about the machine age and the prevalence of accidents and deformity? The background for Treves' relationship with Merrick - professional turning to friendship? John Hurt's performance as Merrick? His communicating the personality from within the makeup? The audience not seeing the makeup until into the file? The suddenness of seeing it.. sharing the shock with the nurse? The audience having to get used to the makeup? The gradual awareness that Merrick was a sensitive fully conscious human being? The glimpses of Merrick at the sideshow, his performance. his being kept in the dark.. the bad food,, the beatings by Bytes? The ugliness of carnival exhibitionism? His being taken to the hospital,, his head covering.. his not communicating, his being exhibited in Treves' lecture? His being finally rescued by Treves? His being put in the hospital and being cared for? The audience's sudden view of him with the nurse with his breakfast? His coping with his deformity, his acceptance of it, his not being aware of it from a mirror? His reaction to being called the elephant man? Treves' visits, the build-up of communication,, the gradual speaking,, the rehearsal for Mr. Carr Gomm's visit,, the studied responses, the reciting of Psalm 23, his impression on Carr Gomm. his polite apology for not saying that he could read,, his education and knowledge of the Bible and the book of common prayer? Audience surprise at his sensitivity and manners? The details of life in the hospital, his meals, clothes? The importance of the visit of Mrs. Kendal., the friendship.. the discussion about beauty, Shakespeare. the Romeo and Juliet scene. the visit to Dr. Treves' home and polite discussion and Mrs. Treves' weeping,, the fad and society visits and his initial awkwardness, apologies,, his gradually becoming something of a dandy as he mimicked his manner and style, Mr. Carr Gomm's support especially at the board meting, Mothershead and her initial reaction against him., beginning to understand him, efficient care for him, getting the nurses to work for him? Merrick's building the cathedral? The possibilities for his place in society? The insertion of the dream sequence - its effect on him, his puzzle about his deformity, his mother.. the elephants, his place in the universe? The nightmare of the mirror and his reaction to the vision of himself? Merrick's sensitivity? His being victimised by the night porter, the faces at the window. the eventual intrusion, the physical abuse, psychological? The overtones of sensuality, sexuality? Bytes and his observing this? His kidnapping Merrick? The pathos of Merrick in France, reduced to being the elephant man again? The humiliation, the contrast with his way of life in London? The reaction of the other members of the carnival? Merrick's collapse, Bytes' anger and drunkenness. his placing him in the cage with the baboon and its frightening impact? The freaks combining together to free him? The emotional impact for the audience? The voyage back to England, Merrick's ability to get himself to England,, into the train? His return to his hooded mask? The build-up to the incidents at the stations, the wilful children, the trampling of the little girl, the wild pursuit at the station., the humiliation of his hiding in the toilet,, his declaration that he was not the elephant man, that he was a human being, a person? His return to his home- and the gentle reception from Treves and Mothershead? The visit to the theatre and his delight? His completing the cathedral? His sense of his own death? The importance of the pillows and the way that he slept? His preparation for death and rearrangement of the pillows? The completion of the cathedral, the completion of his life? His quiet death?

6. The background of the night porter, the ugliness of his characterisation? His place in the hospital, his exploitive attitudes, the scenes at the hotel, the faces peering in at the window? His making money, the drunken crowd from the hotel, the kissing and embracing, the drunkenness, lewdness? The atmosphere of cruelty, man's abuse of man? The highlight in forcing the mirror in front of Merrick? A continuation of Bytes' oppression? Bytes' return to the hotel, his watching the group, his kidnapping Merrick? Audience revulsion?

7. The portrait of Carr Gomm and John Gielgud's style, his benign running of the hospital, his knowing that Merrick was upstairs, the interview with Treves, his visit and decision that Merrick should not be there, the reaction to Psalm 23, his continued support of Treves, his running of the meeting and the clash of views with the members of the board, the princess coming with the message from Queen Victoria, his winning the day? A Victorian man of values and humanity? Mothershead and her managing of the nurses, her busyness, her hostility towards Merrick at first, severity of judgment, her change of attitude, her support of him, her bashing of the night porter after Treves punched him, her organising the nurses? Treves and her plea that he not be exhibiting Merrick to society? Nora and the other nurses and their initial fear, getting to know Merrick, having chats with him?

8. Mrs. Kendal and her status on the English stage, the build-up to her visit, her bringing the books, her genial attitude towards Merrick, treating him ordinarily, his response to her and discussions of beauty, his reading of Shakespeare, the reading of Romeo and Juliet together with its pathos and irony? Her continued friendship? His visit to the theatre, her speech about him and leading the standing ovation? A symbol of society's attitudes towards Merrick? Others visiting and making it a fad? Their having tea in his rooms? The contrast with his visit to the Treves family? The discussions about the children, his mother? Mrs. Treves and her weeping?

9. The background sequences and their effectiveness - the detail of life in the hospital, the corridors, the nurses and their work, meals and the kitchen, the corridors and the sounds, the not locking of the room , the English taverns and crowds. the British theatre, carnivals? The importance of this atmosphere for the impact of the film?

10. The finale with the cosmic overtones of the stars, the comment about eternity, reward for a hard life, Merrick being united with his mother?

11. How humane and sensitive a film? The overtones of the horror film but drawing on the emotions of the audience? A variation on monster thews? Appearances and reality? Humanity, dignity, courage? Cruelty and sensitivity?