The Elephant Man
John Hurt's Oscar-nominated performance as John Merrick, the man whose disfigured face made him a cause célèbre in Victorian London.
- 5 Feb 18:10 NFT3 not available online
The true story of John Merrick - a man with a congenital disease that covered his body with deforming tumors - is approached here with great respect for the subject matter. It is indeed the humanist element that triumphs, but Lynch again showed his skill for creating contained, expressionistic worlds. Through the black and white cinematography of Freddie Francis, the film superbly invokes the bleak mood of an industrial Victorian England.
| Director | David Lynch |
| Cast | John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud |
| Country | USA |
| Year | 1980 |
| Running time | 123min |
| Certificate | PG |
BFI Southbank Programme Update - 22 May (No.32)