1980
David Lynch
An intensely moving true story of humanity and bravery, The Elephant Man won 3 BAFTA awards including Best Film and Best Actor, and received 8 Oscar® nominations on release in 1980. Boasting an exceptional lead performance from John Hurt (Alien, 1984, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) in the iconic role of John Merrick, the stellar cast features Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of The Lambs, The Two Popes), John Gielgud (Gandhi, Julius Caesar), Anne Bancroft (The Graduate, The Miracle Worker), Hannah Gordon (Watership Down), Freddie Jones (Dune), Wendy Hiller (A Man for All Seasons) and Michael Elphick (Gorky Park).
John Merrick (John Hurt) is The Elephant Man, forced into becoming a circus sideshow freak and spurned by society due to the disfiguring disabilities he was born with. Rescued by a well-meaning surgeon (Anthony Hopkins), he escapes a life of prejudice and cruelty as he tries to fit into a world ruled by Victorian sensibilities. With news of Merrick quickly spreading, he becomes a celebrated curiosity amongst London’s upper class, including with the famed actress Mrs. Kendal (Anne Bancroft). Despite being treated somewhat more humanely, the question becomes whether Treves’ actions are in fact a just a further form of exploitation of Merrick.
Beautifully shot in black and white by the incomparable Freddie Francis (Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, Cape Fear) and with BAFTA-winning production design by Stuart Craig (The English Patient, The Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), The Elephant Man is an unforgettable story of human dignity and courage in the face of unimaginable adversity, that proved to be David Lynch’s first commercial and critical success.
Produced by Mel Brooks and Jonathan Sanger
The new 4K restoration of THE ELEPHANT MAN was carried out at L’Immagine Ritrovata (Bologna and Paris) under the supervision of David Lynch, who also personally curated the color correction which took place at Fotokem (Los Angeles). The restoration was created from the Original Camera Negative with the latest HDR 16bit workflow used in order to obtain the best possible result. As a result, the black and white image has been restored to its original look.
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The actor, writer and comedian known for her roles in Black Mirror, Darkplace and co-writing and starring in Sightseers picks Don’t Look Now, The Elephant
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The director and screenwriter known for Monster House and City of Ember picks The Elephant Man.
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Author and screenwriter known for his thriller novels picks The Wicker Man, Kind Hearts and Coronets, The Elephant Man, Sid and Nancy, The Ladykillers, I’m
The TV and radio broadcaster and film podcaster of Soundtracking with Edith Bowman picks The Man Who Fell To Earth, Don’t Look Now, The Elephant
