Marco Castellini
•John Merrick, a man born horribly deformed, is exploited by a ruthless man as a freak show attraction. Doctor Frederick Treves happens to witness one of his "performances", takes pity on him, and decides to free him, buying him from his exploiter. John is then settled in a hospital lodging where the same doctor works, but he is later kidnapped and returned to his exploiter. He manages to free himself again, but when he returns to the hospital there is nothing more that can be done for him; his already precarious physical condition has worsened further and leads to his death. An emotional masterpiece based on a true story and photographed in a brilliant black and white by Freddie Francis. More than a horror film, it is a dramatic film, with an excellent cast (in which an excellent Anthony Hopkins stands out) directed by the eccentric Lynch, who this time does not allow himself any particular "eccentricity". A moving film, at times heartbreaking, that sends a clear message: the true horror is not the external one, represented by the horrible features of the Elephant Man, but the much more terrible one that lurks in the hearts of people. Poor John goes from being a slave to a miserable and ruthless exploiter, to a subject for scientists, to becoming a plaything for nobles and rulers, with little or no respect for his human nature. The film received eight Oscar nominations but won none, although certainly a prize would have been deserved by the excellent performance of John Hurt as the unfortunate John Merrick alias Elephant Man, considering the "effort" of acting under heavy layers of makeup.
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