'Viewing The Elephant Man'; PMLA Oct 1989 (about 90 kb)

Excerpt from Anthony Hopkins` biography "Too Good to Waste"

Some movies stir you to tears and yet you feel betrayed or manipulated, but The Elephant Man is different matter. Just like The Straight Story it is a deeply emotional film that avoids all traps of sentimentalism simply because you sense that it comes straight from the heart.  

'The Elephant Man' is based on the writings of Dr. Treves on his patient Joseph Merrick. His life had been adapted for a Broadway play with David Bowie as Mr. Merrick before the movie was released.

The drama is still being performed at some theatres around the world. It might be a coincidence, but 1981 was the 'year of the handicapped'. David Lynch`s movie was filmed in London, produced by Mel Brooks.

John`s / Joseph`s favourite Psalm (Psalm 23) he recites in the movie, will appear ten years later on another Lynch-production: as the intro to Powermad`s 'Slaughterhouse' on the Wild at Heart-soundtrack.

The theatre-play, Mr Merrick enjoys at the end of 'The Elephant Man' is 'Puss in Boots', is already a play within a play as well as a drama with a 'human' animal.

Although the tone and emphasis are quite different, the Lynch-movie was often compared with Todd Browning`s "Freaks".