The Elephant Man
A true story of courage and human dignity.
A true story of courage and human dignity.
Drama, History
-
1980
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A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man being mistreated by his "owner" as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous façade, there is revealed a person of great intelligence and sensitivity. Based on the true story of Joseph Merrick (called John Merrick in the film), a severely deformed man in 19th century London.
Director:
Cast:
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Details
Rated:
PG
Runtime:
124 min
Release date:
9 Oct 1980
Country:
US
Languages:
English
Budget:
$5,000,000
Revenue:
$26,000,000
Awards:
Nominated for 8 Oscars. 11 wins & 22 nominations total
Top Critics Reviews
fresh:
This is a tale of redemption and transcendence, of the hunchback of London Hospital, of the noble phantom who wanted to go to the opera, of Beauty and the Beast.
– Richard Corliss,
TIME Magazine,
22 Apr 2014
fresh:
Lynch's powerful depiction of Merrick (played by John Hurt) moves a viewer from revulsion and fear to empathy and tenderness. That's the very movement of the story itself.
– Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
22 Apr 2014
rotten:
The picture itself is a strange trade-off between Lynch's personal themes -- the night world of obscure, disturbing sexual obsessions -- and the requirements of a middlebrow message movie.
– Dave Kehr,
Chicago Reader,
30 Apr 2008
fresh:
Director David Lynch has created an eerily compelling atmosphere in recounting a hideously deformed man's perilous life in Victorian England.
– Variety Staff,
Variety,
30 Apr 2008
fresh:
A marvellous movie, shot in stunning black-and-white by Freddie Francis.
– Tom Milne,
Time Out,
26 Jan 2006