About this product

Product Information

The true and deeply moving story of John Merrick who was the victim of a hideous disease that distorted his face and body.

Product Identifiers

EAN5055201803863

eBay Product ID (ePID)66295356

Product Key Features

ActorAnne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, Hannah Gordon

Film/TV TitleThe Elephant Man

DirectorDavid Lynch

LanguageEnglish

Run Time119 Mins

Aspect Ratio16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen

Release Year2008

FormatDVD

FeaturesBlack & White, Widescreen, Joseph Merrick: the Real Elephant Man\John Hurt Interview\David Lynch Interview\Theatrical Trailer

GenreDrama, General

Additional Product Features

Number of Discs1

CertificatePG

Country/Region of ManufactureUnited Kingdom

ComposerJohn Morris

Production DesignerStuart Craig

Additional InformationDavid Lynch brings his own dreamlike style to the heartbreaking yet somehow uplifting story of John Merrick (John Hurt), a hideously deformed individual dubbed the Elephant Man during his years in a circus freak show in Victorian England. After suffering for years at the hands of his circus "master," the eloquent, soft spoken Merrick is "rescued" by compassionate surgeon Dr. Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins), who allows him to live at the hospital where he works. Merrick becomes a social celebrity when he meets a popular stage performer (Anne Bancroft), but he must continue to fight for his dignity with those who still choose to view him as a freak. Meanwhile, Treves begins to question whether his supposed act of humanity has been just as exploitative as Merrick's former caretaker's.<BR>Lynch's follow-up to his 1978 cult classic ERASERHEAD is a striking blend of art and entertainment, which earned the film eight Academy Award nominations in 1980. Freddie Francis's breathtaking black-and-white cinematography combines with John Morris's score to re-create Victorian England with a deeply haunting beauty. It is the compassionate performances of Hurt and Hopkins that lift THE ELEPHANT MAN to a more emotional level, however, bringing an inspired sadness to Lynch's striking vision.

ReviewsNew York Times - ...Haunting....Hurt is truly remarkable..., Sight and Sound - ...Moving...

ScreenwriterDavid Lynch, Eric Bergren, Christopher DeVore

Costume DesignerPatricia Norris

CinematographerFreddie Francis

Sound sourceDolby Digital

EditorAnne V. Coates

Movie/TV TitleThe Elephant Man