Joseph carey merrick 5 august 1862 11 april 1890, often erroneously called john merrick, was an english man with severe deformities. Basically, one of the saddest films ever, and one of david lynchs few nonmind screw surreal horror movies, depicting joseph here called john, and played by john hurt merricks struggle to leave an abusive circus sideshow, while meeting dr. Ever since bernard pomerances 1977 play the elephant man became a hit in london and on broadway, the pitiful image of joseph carey merrick referred to as john in the play. The incredible story behind the movie the elephant man. What was the terrible curse that turned joseph merrick into historys most horribly deformed man. David lynchs the elephant man is based on the life of joseph merrick 18621890, a man who we first encounter in the film as the elephant man of a freak show, whose physical differences are so frightening to the authorities that the exhibit is closed. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing the elephant man the straight story near you. The elephant man, portrayed by the late john hurt, continues to be a gold standard for artful cinematic creativity today. In david lynchs film, the elephant man has become a drooling latex monster. The elephant man is a 1980 britishamerican historical drama film about joseph merrick a severely deformed man in late 19th century. He pays to go into a dark, dirty room where a man with a very misshapen body sits. The man s injuries, as well as an attack from bronchitis, leads treves to admit him to the hospital. Born as a misfit in the society of the 1800s, with a terrible condition, he is called the elephant man due to his grotesque appearance of deformity. Rescued from his degrading life as a circus freak, merrick is given a chance to.
In 1980, talented director david lynch filmed the story of joseph merrick, a heavily disfigured man who suffered years of mistreatment and abuse in a society that viewed him as a freak. The elephant man is a perfect movie and, as john hurt once said if youre not moved by the time the elephant man is over. Joseph merrick, in full joseph carey merrick, also called the elephant man, born august 5, 1862, leicester, leicestershire, englanddied april 11, 1890, london, disfigured man who, after a brief career as a professional freak, became a patient of london hospital from 1886 until his death. Frederick treves anthony hopkins, who takes him out of that place and gets him into the london hospital, where hebeing an educated and kind person but. Learn english with story 2 the elephant man subtitled level 1. Frederic treves, a victorian surgeon who saw past the monstrous facade to find the sensitive soul of an intelligent individual. John hurt stars as john merrick, the hideously deformed 19th century londoner known as the elephant man. Though nominated for eight academy awards, the film was. What surprised me was the fusion of a political and a visual dialectic in lynchs approach to the story of the grievously disfigured john. Lynch managed to bring to the screen a tragic and moving story in the best of ways, illuminating joseph merricks short existence in this world, and by doing so, delivering a profound and humane story of dignity and tolerance in the process. The theme of the elephant man is man s inhumanity to man. With or without the help of fiction, we are left to remember joseph merrick, not as the elephant man, but as someone who, above all, was a kind and forgiving human being despite how wrongly people treated him. One one of the most interesting human marvels is known as the elephant man. Elephant man 1980 by david lynch anthony hopkins, john.
Merrick, known as the elephant man, makes a life journey from being a freak show attraction to medical wonder to society intellectual to spiritual inspiration. The elephant man originally aired on may 27th 1997 as part of q. The devastating true story of elephant man, joseph merrick when joseph merrick began to grow a trunk on his face, he became a household name. It was distributed in the united states by schocken books. Treated as a sideshow freak, merrick is assumed to be retarded as well as misshapen because of his inability to speak coherently. London hospital surgeon frederick treves finds john merrick in a. John hurt in the elephant man studiocanal filmsalamy a blackandwhite film brought its director to hollywoods attention in 1980. The heartbreaking story of joseph merrick, the real elephant man. Based on a true story, the film examines the complex emotional experiences faced by john merrick.
The elephant man returns from the seminar to bytes and is beaten severely for wondering off. The true history of the elephant man is a biography of joseph merrick written by michael howell and peter ford. Elephant man was in many respects a longer, more accessible, better plotted version of eraserhead, underlining lynchs fascination with physical freaks and sporting the same strange atmospherics, including the constant background noise of humming and hissing machinery. Stretch your horizons and take in these five movies exemplifying story doctor zhivago epic scale. The elephant man the movie esl worksheet by dutchboydvh. A victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man who is mistreated while scraping a living as a sideshow freak. Lynchs film was celebrated and spoofed in its time, not least in richard curtiss comedy the tall guy, the plot of which featured a gobsmackingly.
The shopkeeper, mr silcock, makes money by charging people to see joseph merrick. If you thought the sweetness of the straight story was unprecedented in lynch s work, look again at. There is nothing wrong with hurts performance it is quite moving but there is a great deal wrong with a movie that. The following versions of the elephant man are apparently real. A moving, true biography portraying the heartbreaking story of the life of john merrick. The elephant man hurt, when he is discovered by a dedicated surgeon anthony hopkins. Dont forget like, comment, share and subscribe thank you. Summarythe elephant man bernard pomerance page 4 the elephant man foco novo original production of the elephant man. It was a true story about a nineteenthcentury sideshow freak who was saved by a doctor portrayed in the movie by anthony hopkins. Equal parts fable, fairytale, and dark, brooding, industrialrevolution nightmare, the elephant man is that true rarity a film filled with compassionate sentiment which somehow manages to be neither maudlin nor cloying. Perhaps most recognizable for many, the play was made into a movie by david lynch in 1980. Movies, like books, sometimes have humble beginnings. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. With anthony hopkins, john hurt, anne bancroft, john gielgud.
The case of the elephant man is one of the great unsolved mysteries of medicine. During a meeting, treves discovers that the man can talk and is educated. Beset with horrible disfiguring deformities, he spent most of his life as a fairground and sideshow exhibit. London surgeon frederick treves anthony hopkins ventures into the darkest, clankiest, smokiest parts of the east end to view the elephant man john hurt, whose physical appearance in the film is precisely accurate. If you disagree or have additional info, please update us. This dark and beautiful 1980 movie is based on the elephant man and other reminisces by the reallife treves, as well as ashley montagus the elephant man. Anthony hopkins in the elephant man 1980 anthony hopkins and michael elphick in.
He was first exhibited at a freak show as the elephant man, and then went to live at the london hospital after he met frederick treves, subsequently becoming well known in london society merrick was born in leicester and began to develop abnormally. His story garnered the sympathy of victorian england and. Outside the genre are excellent examples of what story can do. As bradley cooper plays him on broadway, we look back at merricks life of pain and bravery.
The elephant man is full of ugly, cruel people tormenting the grievously deformed merrick, who at the outset of the film is the cowering, oftenflogged captive of a circus showman in victorian. Unable to secure rights for the famous stage play the elephant man, producer mel brooks based his film on the memoirs of frederick treves and a much later account of merricks life by ashley montagu. The film of the elephant man is not based on the successful stage play of the same name, but they both draw their sources from the life of john merrick, the original elephant man, whose rare disease imprisoned him in a cruelly misformed body. As a result, the elephant man is without a doubt the most famous human prodigy of all time.
Frederick treves, merrick attempts to regain the dignity he lost after years spent as a sideshow freak. How did he keep his sanity as the disease ravaged his body. The true history of the elephant man by michael howell. The sad story of joseph merrick the real elephant man. I put together this worksheet to go with the movie. Elephant man 1980 full movie trailer classic movie. Behind his monstrous facade, there is revealed a person of kindness, intelligence and sophistication. Joseph merricks extreme physical deformities made him a sideshow attraction in life, and the fascinating subject of posthumous stage and film productions, including the current broadway show starring bradley cooper. The story one day, outside a shop near the hospital he works in, dr frederick treves sees an advertisement about an ugly man who looks like an elephant. It tells the story of john merrick, the elephant man, a victorianera person with disfigurements who was rescued from a cruel fairground show by the concerned physician frederick treves and.
Yet whilst it is undoubtedly one of his most moving and compassionate pieces of cinema there are still traces of the themes that he would explore in greater detail later in his career. Joseph carey merrick s facial disfigurement made him a human oddity in victorian england. The film of the elephant man is not based on the successful stage play of the same name, but they both draw their sources from the life of john. Sometimes, there will be several versions of a movie floating about on cable, tv or video etc. The elephant man went on to win numerous awards after it publication in 1979, including a tony, obie, drama desk award and a new york drama critics circle award. John hurt sensitively plays the title role, based on a true story about a. A victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man who is mistreated while. The elephant man is a 1980 film about joseph merrick whom the script calls. Elephant man 1980 full movie trailer classic movie youtube. The elephant man is exhibited by a villain, bytes, who treats him viciously. Director and cowriter david lynch doesnt explain the characters actions, which makes them good topics of discussion for teenagers mature enough to tackle the subject matter. The true history of the elephant man by michael howell and peter ford allison and busby 1980 biography.
After completing the reading on john merrick, the students were interested in learning more about this story. Any difference in appearance, actions, or intellect appears to some to be carte blanche for treating the person inhumanely. The elephant man 1980 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. A fantasy andor science fiction fan doesnt have to be bound to watching movies only in the fantasy and science fiction realm. This compelling detective story uses forensic and genetic science, along with modern imaging techniques, to provide insights about his tragic condition. The elephant man, much like the straight story, is a film that may initially seem at odds with david lynchs other work. The film is lensed in black and white by british master cinematographer freddie francis. The times and tribulations of the elephant man, joseph carey merrick, have long been the subject of books, films and theatre. Because of his extreme bodily and facial deformities, he was nicknamed. The elephant man depicts the difficult life of joseph john carey merrick, a real person who lived from 1862 to 1890. In an attempt to convince the authorities to allow the man to stay, treves endeavors to communicate with the person.
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