Oct 8, 2011

The Elephant Man

Plot: A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man who is mistreated while scraping a living as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous facade, there is revealed a person of intelligence and sensitivity.

First time I heard about this movie was 6-7 years ago. I was in high scool, and we where talking in the classroom about some movies. So one of my friends mentioned the elephant man. I was like WTF is the elephant man? So he started to explain. OFC I wasn't really interested in the movie, but I looked it up on IMDb, and was shocked that it got a 8+ score.
So I rented it. Man was I impressed by this movie. I was a little skeptic at the beginning, but as the movie played on, it left me with an open mouth.
People can be very brutal, just like animals. But they are worse. because people can think and reconsider before they do something but animals can't (they kill for food, humans kill because of greed).

It's the story of a man, who was borned with a deformed body. John Merrick was his name. And like all deformed people, he was used in the Freak Show (at a circus). His owner brutally beats him, and John gets to the hospital, where a kind doctor cares for him, and tries to be friend with him.
At first, the doctor is using him for his medical studies, and thinks (and he really hopes) that John Merrick is an idiot, a vegetable. But soon he discovers that behind the horribly deformed body, there is an intelligent and sensible man.

The movie looks a little boring untill John starts to talk, but after that it becomes interesting.
And the most terrbile thing is, this is a true story. John Merrick really existed, and was called the "elephant man" because of his mutation (and in this case mutation is not cool, so don't think X-men).
The tragic story of a 21 year old boy, who is called an elephant man... Who can never feel true love, and will always be considered a freak..

Ofcourse this movie is not for people who expect action and shooting + explosions, but for people who can imagine what is it like to be in the body of the "elephant man". And if you have that power, that imagionation, then you will enjoy this movie as much as I did.

It's a movie from 1980, so it has flaws, but it's a great movie, and really touches you. Proves that people without laws would be animals. Still it won 8 oscars, and another 20 nominations.

My Rating: 8/10

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