The Elephant Man (1980)

 

Elefantmanden

“The Elephant Man” seems like an unlikely follow-up on David Lynch’ “Eraserhead”, being as it is far more mainstream, both in terms of narrative and production value, but it was a bit of a scoop for Lynch to break out of the experimental film circle and access both a much wider audience and the funding to make his projects. Lynch managed to do this while staying true to many of his Lynch-tropes.

“The Elephant Man” is based on the true story of John Merrick (John Hurt), a massively deformed fellow, as told by the surgeon who found and took care of him, Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins). In 1880’ies London, Treves accidentally encounters Merrick being displayed in a freakshow as The Elephant Man. Merrick is clearly being brutalized by his “handler”, Mr. Bytes (Freddie Jones) and Treves removes Merrick to the hospital where he has his practice. Both hospital staff and management are at first shocked by their new tenant, but eventually under their care Merrick is transformed from a dumb circus act into a kind and soft-spoken gentleman.

Treves is excited about his find and displays this extraordinary medical case for his peers, but eventually he has second thought about his motives. Is he really any better than Mr. Bytes, using Merrick as a show piece for his own benefit? The night porter, Jim (Michael Elphick) has no such scruples and sets up his own sideshow, inviting the lower strata of the public in to watch John Merrick at night. Something that eventually turns out disastrous. Actress Madge Kendall (Anne Bancroft) is at first motivated by a similar curiosity for the bizarre, but manages very quickly to recognize the gently soul beneath the deformity and becomes a bit of a champion for him.

Indeed, the theme throughout the movie seems to be whether or not the people around John Merrick take an interest in him for their own profit or gratification or if they do it from sympathy or pity for a fellow human being. Is John Merrick an item or a person? I found a strong parallel to the somewhat later “Edward Scissorhands” movie, which is perhaps even more blunt on this topic. Practically all characters start out seeing Merrick as a freak and because of these deformities he is not quite human. The smarter or more empathic of those he deals with go through the phase where they realize there is an actual person behind the appearance and question themselves for their initial position. In this way John Merrick becomes an agent for these characters to develop. We, as an audience, go through the same phases. Can we not say that we go into this movie to watch the incredible Elephant Man, but only gradually realize there is a real person within where the grotesque appearance actually matters little?

I think David Lynch has a fascination with the aparte. Something akin to Tod Browning in the thirties, but Lynch uses the freakish elements to embody emotions, personalities or themes. Almost all his movies have odd looking characters who look the way because they represent something and so a character like John Merrick is a gift to Lynch. He does not even have to invent a freak. Lynch also added some surreal elements to represent the troubled mind of Merrick. It is difficult to imagine how a person treated like John Merrick would feel, but Lynch’ visions actually help understanding the despair and seclusion Merrick lives in. Lynch also could not help recreating a lot of the space and soundscape from “Eraserhead”. It is a grimy and dark London with a very industrial and impersonal feel to it. An inhuman place, which helps to underline the inhumanity with which Merrick is treated.

Ultimately, John Merrick is recognized as a man as immortalized with the famous quote: "I am not an animal! I am a human being. I am a man." And with that achievement we are done and it is a happy ending, or is it? For John Merrick it is fulfillment, but also the end of the road.

“The Elephant Man” was not an easy movie to watch. It is an emotional rollercoaster, and you cannot not be upset with the way most people get no further than seeing the freak, but the impact of it also feels rewarding even if you feel a bit dirty for at first only seeing the deformities. I recommend it, but I suspect it will be a long time before I watch it again.

A bit of trivia: The real Dr. Treves later pioneered the surgical treatment of appendicitis and saved the life of the British king at the time for which he was knighted. Ironically, Treves himself eventually died from a ruptured appendix.