Heart wrenching classic
Based on the true life of Joseph Carey Merrick (portrayed brilliantly by John Hurt), David Lynch's masterpiece more or less accurately portrays his experiences only in the last year of his life in 1889-90 once Doctor Frederick Treves (played by Anthony Hopkins) encounters him and cares for him at Whitechapel Hospital. Because of the stage play which left Merrick's physical appearance to the viewer's imagination, this film tended to be voted inferior in comparison. Being fair though, this is a very good film and an unforgettable one at that.
In arguably David Lynch's most conventional shoot, there are a couple of misleading events. The film explains Merrick's condition as the result of his mother being struck down by an elephant. He was actually born a normal child. Before the age of two, he had began growing the tumors, and his condition rapidly worsened. Believed to have Proteus Syndrome or "Elephant Man's Disease" which causes abnormal, unchecked growth of bones, skin, and other systems, the name came to be identified with him. Also, not revealed in the film are what happened to his parents. Research revealed that his mother, also handicapped died when Merrick was 11. His father remarried, and his new wife gave gave him an ultimatum, "Joseph, or me." Abandoned and cast out of the home, he went to live at the Leicester Union Workhouse, and sold shoe polish on the street. After being taunted repeatedly by other children, he had to find other work.
Desperate for medical attention, a compassionate showman, Tom Norman, UK's answer to P.T. Barnum took him in and gave Merrick a job as a museum freak. Under Norman's tutelage, Merrick accumulated 200 pounds, a large sum of money at the time. However, while touring Belgium, Merrick became separated from his guardian. Naive and sickly, he was a perfect target for robbers, and an unscrupulous Austrian (some say Italian) showman tricked him out of his small fortune. This more than likely was the character portrayed by Freddie Jones in the film.
Although those facts were not mentioned in the film, this is nevertheless very accurate. Merrick's association with the upper class, the journey to the theater, his befriending of a famous stage actress, his creativity, and intelligence, and even Merrick's death in the film was portrayed to the tee, based on the earlier reports of Dr. Treves.
The DVD has nice documentaries on the making of the film, interviews with the actors, director, and Mel Brooks (who interestingly was the executive producer), and the trailer as features. Overall, a very good film that is highly recommended.Read full review
