MovieChat Forums > The Elephant Man (1980) Discussion > It's a good horror film

It's a good horror film

posted 12 years ago by henrimaine
8 replies | jump to latest

The first third of the film, until the elephant man is fully shown, can be watched as a decent horror film. That's because we know that the man looks horrible, but we have not yet seen him, and that creates a tension in a viewer - how shockingly horrible will he be?

I came to this board expecting to see discussions about the horror aspect of the film. But to my surprise, nobody seems to consider that aspect important. Sure, the film is more than just a horror movie. But I think the horror element should not be discarded.

In fact, I believe David Lynch willingly wanted to introduce the element of horror, at least until the man's appearance is fully revealed. That explains why he didn't show the elephant man for a long time and we finally see him along with the young woman who cries out in shock. After that moment the film turns into a melodrama and, you could say, it goes down from there.

[–] franzkabuki 12 years ago

"I believe David Lynch willingly wanted to introduce the element of horror".

Not hard to do as he "introduces the element of horor" in just about every other film of his.

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[–] hachmom-1 11 years ago

I always felt there were great similarities between this film and the classic horror films of the 30's (Freaks of course, being the most obvious, but there are definite echoes of Karloff there as well). I wonder how much of that is David Lynch and how much Mel Brooks, who had after all deeply immersed himself in Universal Horror films a few years earlier to make Young Frankenstein, which although a comedy, also was filmed in black and white and lovingly recaptured that same era.

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[–] FloodDaga7 9 years ago

Sorry to reply 3 years later...

But didn't we first see John sans disguise toward the beginning of the film when Sir Anthony visits the carnival?

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[–] henrimaine 8 years ago

But didn't we first see John sans disguise toward the beginning of the film when Sir Anthony visits the carnival?

Well, no. Toward the beginning of the film, we get a glimpse of the elephant man from afar and we don't really see his face. So, the "big reveal" happens later in the film - that's how it often is in horror films. Of course, it it were 100% horror, then we would get the full reveal even later, towards the very end. But since this film is mostly drama, they needed to reveal the elephant man earlier, so they could develop the story around his looks and personality.

[–] rascal67 8 years ago

Toward the beginning of the film, we get a glimpse of the elephant man from afar and we don't really see his face. So, the "big reveal" happens later in the film - that's how it often is in horror films.
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Lynch's surreal black & white presentation—albeit beautiful b&w—was an ideal approach, and we see the horror and degradation of what much of the Victorian era represented. Underneath all this though—and most viewers would have been aware that this was ultimately a true drama going in—was a very sad and human story about humanity, dignity, courage, ignorance and cruelty. If I were to be dramatic, I would say this was an era that could have been born straight from the bowels of hell.

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[–] boxerrebellion 9 years ago

The most horrifying aspect of this film is man's inhumanity to man... they way we treat one another. Instead of finding assistance or medical help, but Mr. Merrick, the bearded lady and Siamese twins on display as 'freaks'.

[–] georgijeg1 7 years ago

Yes this is a horror film.

But the horror is not the Elephant man, it's the people around him.

[–] Alexandra_Shulgin 7 years ago

^ 👍 👏!!

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