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| 1. Saturday, April 12, 2008 10:31 PM |
| Laura was a patient of mine |
The Elephant Man |
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This seems like a film that is rarely discussed on this board, presumably because it's difficult to come up with wild theories about it, and I have to admit that I myself did not consider it among his most fascinating films previously. However, I just saw it again last night. I'd only seen it once before, about 2 years ago, just when I was starting to really become a big Lynch fan, and I didn't consider it to be as hypnotic, exciting, overwhelming, or mysterious as some of his other films. I was a bit disappointed with it, and didn't think it really felt it was him, much like I did with Straight Story (of course I was horribly wrong on both accounts). But this time I saw it in a whole new light; I knew what to expect, and found that though it might not inspire the same feeling of bewildered fascination and excitement as many of his best films do, it was a gorgeous, inspired, and incredibly moving, yet utterly unconventional drama. This was certainly not Lynch "going mainstream", at least not consciously, and he is clearly in complete control here. Though the storyline is straightforward, and doesn't involve bizarre mysteries, weird violence (well, for the most part), or non sequitur dialogue, the film is full of Lynchisms, many of them being used for the first time. Slow mo dream sequences, really strange sexual implications, industrial imagery, fire filling the screen, ambient sound, freakshow imagery (obviously); this feels just as typical of him as Wild At Heart or Lost Highway now that I'm more familiar with him. The black and white was a perfect choice (and makes me wonder why Lynch hasn't used it since, aside from brief scenes of Inland Empire (and I suppose some of the digital stuff in Lost Highway). The mood is so unique for this sort of film, it often feels like a horror film (the film "Freaks" is obviously a huge influence), sometimes like a curious social drama, other times like an experimental film (beginning, end, dream sequences). So many great scenes (to my credit I adored the opening and the scene where the rowdy group visits Merrick in his room... both unmistakably Lynch); this time I also loved the Eraserhead like dream scene, the scene where Merrick visits the doctor and his wife (which brought me to tears, a difficult thing for a film to do to me), and the scene where the doctor asks "Am I a good man, or a bad man?", a phrase that pretty much sums up the central theme of his entire body of work (albeit very simply). Truly no other director can create emotions in the audience as effortlessly as Lynch. There are some weaknesses though: Anne Bancroft's character is just unnecessary and unbelievable, and the film occasionally slips into that generic "gee that disabled guy is so kind and innocent and perfect" kind of sentimentality that the Oscars love so much, but only infrequently. However, I really admire the long periods without dialogue, a brilliant decision. The film also flows beautifully and naturally, as most Lynch films do. The music is great as well, perfectly underscoring the film, even though it's before Lynch and Badalamenti met. And the sound design is superb, as it always is in Lynch films... the way sound is used is very close to Eraserhead, as well as his more recent films. As usual in his films the performances are top notch , with the stars turning in amazing performances (John Hurt... wow), and there's a character actor you've never heard of before that is amazingly good (here the woman who plays the head nurse) The final shot of stars also connects it beautifully to his later work (i.e. The Straight Story). I love how no matter what story he films, Lynch manages to make all of a piece with the rest of his body of work; he's one of the few true American auteurs remaining. Ok, that's the end of my rambling post... there are a million things I could say about it right now, just having rediscovered it. What does everyone else think about it? Likes? Dislikes? Does it not appeal to you because of it's conventional structure, or because of it's lack of mysteriousness and the reduced surreality? Or do you consider it as one of his best films? I don't think it's perfect, nor do I consider it to be his masterpiece, but it has taken it's place among my favorite films, and one of the few that can still bring tears to my eyes. I need to go out and buy this!
That god damn trailer's more popular than Uncle's Day in a whorehouse!
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| 2. Sunday, April 13, 2008 6:49 AM |
| smokedchezpig |
RE: The Elephant Man |
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The Elephant Man is still one of my favorite Lynch films to this day. The scene with Dr. Treves questioning his morality is one of the best scenes in the film in my opinion. And I also find the film very "Lynchian", you can tell he directed it through many of the methods used, like the filming of the industry of the age and the dream sequences. Wendy Hiller is great as the head nurse, he was lucky to get such of queen of the British stage in this one and hello, Sir John Gielguld! Not a bad choice, you could do worse. And I love Freddie Jones in this one too, he is so despicable and plays that role to the hilt. And John Morris' score is fantastic (Mel Brooks says on his Young Frankenstein commentary that Morris' best two scores was YF and Elephant Man). And the two scenes you mentioned, when Merrick goes to the Treves' house and the one where the party breaks out in Merrlck's room rank as the film's best. And with many of Lynch's films, it is achored by two amazing performances, this time of Hopkins and Hurt, both turning in two of their greatest performances. Incidentally, one of the reasons they went with black and white was because of the makeup, filming it in color just didn't work at all, so they went with b & w, which turned out to be a wise decision. And John Hurt's quote sums up the film, "If you watch the Elephant Man and are not moved, you're not the sort of person I would like to know.
"Every day holds a new beginning and every hour holds the promise of an Invitation to Love."
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| 3. Sunday, April 13, 2008 10:59 PM |
| REBEL |
RE: The Elephant Man |
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one of my faves as well! loved michael elphick! loved the film in black & white, if it was color, it wouldn't be like how should one say? realistic. I.M.O. all what smokedchezpig said. loved the ending, sad & very beautiful all combined with the music. john hurt did a fantastic job on it, he's such an excellent actor for this film! along with others as well!
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| 4. Monday, April 14, 2008 10:34 AM |
| Laura was a patient of mine |
RE: The Elephant Man |
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| QUOTE:one of my faves as well! loved michael elphick! loved the film in black & white, if it was color, it wouldn't be like how should one say? realistic. I.M.O. all what smokedchezpig said. loved the ending, sad & very beautiful all combined with the music. john hurt did a fantastic job on it, he's such an excellent actor for this film! along with others as well! |
I don't think of the film as realistic at all, though it's based on a true story... then again that's what I love about it so much. It's very stylized and impressionistic, which I think was a bold but wise move for such a story.
That god damn trailer's more popular than Uncle's Day in a whorehouse!
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| 5. Monday, April 14, 2008 7:02 PM |
| 12rainbow |
RE: The Elephant Man |
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It definitely deserved all the awards it got. I use that as my "YES, David Lynch has in fact earned mainstream appeal!" wild card when people tell me his only audience is elitist, cult film snobs.
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| 6. Monday, April 14, 2008 8:11 PM |
| Laura was a patient of mine |
RE: The Elephant Man |
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It only won two Oscars, though it got eight nominations... *sigh*. I'm starting to think Lynch will never get a real best director Oscar, he'll probably be stuck with one of those lifetime achievement things. It still kind of annoys me when people say this is Lynch's masterpiece though (Blue Velvet anyone?), he's definitely grown as a director since, though this is an astonishingly assured second feature.
That god damn trailer's more popular than Uncle's Day in a whorehouse!
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