Too much sentimentalism?

“The Elephant Man” is a film of absorbing atmosphere, impossible to imagine without that shadowy black and white cinematography that powerfully conveys the horror of John Merrick's condition and the darkness of an era where people were incapable to see inner humanity behind a hideous deformity (and it conveniently made the make-up more realistic). And the score by John Morris, both haunting and playful, echoes the seemingly reason-to-be of John Merrick in life: suffering and entertaining. John Hurt powerfully communicates the vibrating despair of a trapped soul and if it wasn't for Robert De Niro in "Raging Bull", he probably would have deserved the Oscar. And Anthony Hopkins is perfect as the well meaning, but not flawed, doctor Treves.

There is also something effective in the way Merrick’s scariness is asserted, David Lynch waits until almost twenty minutes to show us his face: we see a woman crying after having seen him in the Carnival, Treves with that deadpan expression and tears coming through his eyes, we see the iconic mask with mysterious breath noises, the shadowy silhouette while he's exhibited to the prestigious Medical assembly, and the whole mystery surrounding his look pinnacles with the genuine horrified reaction of Nora, the nurse, her shrill scream illustrates the first effect Merricks has on people.

Now, Merrick is the central character of the film, and when at the end, after he escapes from his evil master Bytes (Freddie Jones), he's chased in the train station and then cornered in the toilet, finally screams: "I'm not an animal! I'm a human being! I'm a man!” he conquered courage. And at this point, his character's arc is closed; he went from a horrifying freak to a man who is capable to protest, to express his anger, to proclaim his legitimate right for respect and dignity. I guess this is the true courage of John Merrick, this climactic moment when he confronts a crowd of so-called civilized people.

The entrance of “The Elephant Man” is a masterpiece of build-up; the triumphant cry is the perfect emotional pay-off. Yet the evolution between the two moments isn't as fluid as expected. He goes from a patient who can barely speak to one who recites the Bible quite fluently. Naturally, it would have been infuriating if the doctors never noticed his intelligence, but the moment where Carr-Gomm (John Gielgud) is disappointed by Merrick's aptitudes is immediately followed by the pivotal recitation. It's like Lynch was in an urge to show us a Merrick in progress. I personally wouldn't have minded if the film was half-an-hour longer if it was to show a more realistic evolution, especially since the irony of his intelligence is that it makes his condition even more monstrous. As Treves said, "Pray to God he is an idiot"

The psalm recitation is rewarded by an immersion in society, during which Merricks prove to be an extremely lovable character, eager to please and impress. There is a childish pride in the way he exhibits the picture of his mother, an oddly beautiful woman. Hurt is so spectacular that you can even feel in his voice, the guilt of not being equal to match his mother’s looks. At that part, you can tell, that Merrick is still imprisoned in his own perceptions and can't help but see him as a freak. And as far as he's concerned, he'll only cease to be a freak in the eyes of people. This is what makes the climax even more powerful, because he ceases to be a freak by himself.

But before the realization, he’s still a freak on a reverse way, exposed like a sort of ‘savant monkey’. The film divides people into two categories: the bad guys who saw the monster and the good ones who saw the angel. There was pity from both sides. At a point, Lynch even had the bad taste to trade the gripping realism of the story for a sort of Dickens-like atmosphere, which didn't fit the Merrick’s existential dilemma. I was disturbed by the whole party going on Merrick's room, not because it was too cruel but because it was deliberately over the top, with the whole kissing and dancing, when Merrick was being used as a puppet, and soaked in alcohol. Did the film need to get so frenetic about him?

Now, wasn’t the most disturbing part when the guard showed the mirror to Merrick? Hurt's scream was devastating, but it was covered by the noisy ambiance so we couldn't even grab the true horror of the situation. That moment alone was enough to make the scene painful to watch, Merrick seeing his own face. Besides, it would have emphasized the emotionality of the climactic scene, he screams, “I’m a man!” with even more passion because he saw that he looked like anything but a man. Lynch had the possibility to make a terrific story with a straight-forward realism, but the film loses it with the villains.

And it also loses it with the exaggeratedly good characters, like Mrs Kendal (Anne Bancroft) who reads "Romeo and Juliet" with Merrick and kisses him. I don't have a problem with the kissing, but why not putting it for another visit. Now, think about it, would have she done that to a 'normal' person? The answer is, no. So we're lead to believe that it was a compassionate kiss, while it would have looked more genuine and maybe more sincere if it happened later. If Bancroft was supposed to play a character so impressed by Merrick she would instantly kiss him, then she deserved more scenes.

It seems like Lynch didn't trust our patience. In a nutshell, it's "Merrick, the Elephant Man" in the start, "Merrick, the Man" at the end, and in-between, he swings back and forth from excessively good or excessively bad people. Maybe it's a way to show that Merrick's tragedy is that he'll always be a monster, so monstrous he'll never be seen as a man, or so monstrous, people will treat him more gently and tenderly. Maybe that's the conflict that tortures Treves' man when he was wondering to what extent he's different from Merrick's master, the evil Bytes. I'm not saying that every supporting character was one-dimensional, I thought Wendy Hiller was terrific as Mrs Mothershead, and I liked the way she hit the guard on the heard (although it was bit cartoonish) but apart from her, Merrick could only count on good or bad persons who saw him the same way.

I don't think the film could have had a better climax than his cry in the train station, and his comeback to the hospital. The standing ovation in the theatre damaged the powerful effect of the “I’m a man!” maybe I would have more appreciated if he said to the applauding crowd "I just want to enjoy the show, why are you applauding me anyway, what have I ever done to be so admirable?" Being recognized as a man also consists on being recognized as a person who doesn't deserve praise for suffering, or be considered a hero because he's afflicted by a serious handicap.

I could have also done it without the first nightmare scene and the ending with all the stars and symbolism, Just give him a break, and this applies to Lynch, the who thought he could get all mystic about him. And Lynch happened to be so restrained in the directing, with scenes of such absorbing realism, that the more surreal ones were totally unnecessary.



"Darth Vader is scary and I The Godfather"