- published: 15 Dec 2014
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The Elephant Man is a 1980 British/American drama film based on the true story of Joseph Merrick (called John Merrick in the film), a severely deformed man in 19th century London. The film was directed by David Lynch and stars John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Michael Elphick, Hannah Gordon, and Freddie Jones.
The screenplay was adapted by Lynch, Christopher De Vore, and Eric Bergren from the books The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences (1923) by Sir Frederick Treves and The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity by Ashley Montagu. It was shot in black-and-white.
The Elephant Man was a critical and commercial success, and received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture in 1980.
Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins), a surgeon at the London Hospital, discovers John Merrick (John Hurt) in a Victorian freak show in London's East End, where he is managed by the brutish Bytes (Freddie Jones). Merrick is so deformed that he must wear a hood and cap when in public, and Bytes claims he is an imbecile. Treves is professionally intrigued by Merrick's condition and pays Bytes to bring him to the Hospital so that he can examine him. There, Treves presents Merrick to his colleagues in a lecture theatre, displaying him as a physiological curiosity. Treves draws attention to Merrick's most life-threatening deformity, his oversized skull, which compels him to sleep with his head resting upon his knees, as the weight of his skull would asphyxiate him if he were to ever lie down. On Merrick's return, Bytes beats him so severely that a sympathetic apprentice (Dexter Fletcher) alerts Treves, who returns him to the hospital. Bytes accuses Treves of likewise exploiting Merrick for his own ends, leading the surgeon to resolve to do what he can to help the unfortunate man.
Actors: Anthony Fankhauser (producer), John Karyus (actor), Sherri Strain (producer), Nora L. Ferris (miscellaneous crew), David Rimawi (producer), David Michael Latt (editor), David Michael Latt (producer), Christopher Adamson (actor), Christopher DeMaci (actor), Mighty Mike Murga (actor), Jason DeParis (actor), Daeg Faerch (actor), Rebekah Kochan (actress), Robert Pike Daniel (actor), Kristen Quintrall (editor),
Plot: In a modern retelling of Tod Browning's "Freaks" (1932), "Freakshow" tells the story of a group of criminals who chose to hide out by working security at a traveling circus. At first, they plot with an insider to steal the ticket sales, but the wily Lucy has bigger plans. She convinces the gang to let her seduce and marry the aging circus owner, Lon, in order to secure the entire circus fortune after he "suffers an accident". "People die all the time," Lucy says. The freaks are on to their scheme, however, and when the youngest of them is caught by the ruthless gang, they show no mercy to ensure her silence. When the circus folk find the child's remains, they swear vengeance, and no one is safe from their fury--least of all, the wily Lucy.
Keywords: 1930s, armless-man, blood, cannibalism, carnival, circus, female-nudity, freakshow, gore, horror-movie-remake