The Elephant Man(1980)

Name: The Elephant Man
Director: David Lynch
Genre: Biography, Drama
Released: Oct 3, 1980
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller

Janus Films

PG
2h 4m
- Biography
- Drama

Release Date: Oct 3, 1980 | Limited

In Victorian London, a surgeon named Frederick Treves pays to examine John Merrick, a severely deformed man displayed in a traveling freak show. Treves assumes Merrick cannot speak or think. He is wrong. As the two men spend more time together, a friendship develops, and Merrick is revealed as a person of profound intelligence, sensitivity, and dignity. A biographical drama about what it means to see another human being clearly. The film is shot in black and white by David Lynch.

Note:

Releases

Original Release | Oct 3, 1980

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Director & Top Cast

David Lynch
Director

Anthony Hopkins
Dr. Frederick Treves

John Hurt
Actor

Anne Bancroft
Actor

John Gielgud
Actor

Wendy Hiller
Actor

Freddie Jones

Actor

Michael Elphick

Actor

Hannah Gordon

Actor

Helen Ryan

Actor

John Standing

Actor

Dexter Fletcher

Actor

Lesley Dunlop

Actor

Phoebe Nicholls

Actor

Pat Gorman

Actor

Claire Davenport

Actor

Orla Pederson

Actor

Patsy Smart

Actor

Technical Specifications

Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo

Aspect Ratio: 2.35 : 1

Other Details

Country of Origin: United States, United Kingdom

Language: English,French

Summaries

Plot Summary

The Elephant Man is a 1980 biographical drama directed by David Lynch and written by Lynch, Christopher De Vore, and Eric Bergren. The film is loosely based on two source texts: The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences (1923) by surgeon Frederick Treves and The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity (1971) by Ashley Montagu. John Hurt plays John Merrick, a severely deformed man living in Victorian London, and Anthony Hopkins plays Dr. Frederick Treves, the surgeon who rescues him from a freak show and arranges for him to live at the London Hospital. The supporting cast includes Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Freddie Jones, and Michael Elphick. Cinematography is by Freddie Francis, with a score by John Morris. The film was executive-produced by Mel Brooks, uncredited, to avoid audiences associating it with his comedic work. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Hurt, and Best Adapted Screenplay, and won three BAFTA Awards, including Best Film and Best Actor. It also won the César Award for Best Foreign Film. The film was a significant commercial success, grossing $26 million domestically against a $5 million budget. It is part of the Criterion Collection (spine #159) and has been preserved in the United States National Film Registry. Core themes include human dignity, compassion, cruelty, celebrity, and the gap between appearance and inner life. The film is widely regarded as one of the defining films of Lynch's career and of 1980s cinema.