{"id":2223,"date":"2008-08-05T17:53:39","date_gmt":"2008-08-05T16:53:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/?p=2223"},"modified":"2008-08-05T17:53:39","modified_gmt":"2008-08-05T16:53:39","slug":"dvd-pick-the-elephant-man-special-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/2008\/08\/05\/dvd-pick-the-elephant-man-special-edition\/","title":{"rendered":"DVD Pick: The Elephant Man (Special Edition)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The DVD highlight of the week is this special edition re-release of The Elephant Man<\/strong><\/a> – the superb 1980 period drama about the life of Joseph Merrick<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Based on the real story of a man so disfigured he was dubbed ‘the Elephant Man’, it explores how he was taken in by a doctor and his struggle to be recognised as a dignified human being in Victorian London.<\/p>\n

Notable for being director David Lynch<\/a>‘s second feature (after Eraserhead<\/a>) it features a raft of excellent performances from the likes of Anthony Hopkins<\/a>, Anne Bancroft<\/a>, John Gielgud<\/a>, Wendy Hiller<\/a>, Michael Elphick<\/a>, Hannah Gordon<\/a> and Freddie Jones<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, in the lead role John Hurt<\/a> is mesmerising, despite being buried under a lot of (quite brilliant) make-up which took hours each day to apply.<\/p>\n

Although he would go on to have considerable success as an actor – often in supporting roles – this perhaps remains his greatest screen performance.<\/p>\n

It is also a moving study of an individual struggling to come to terms with deformity and being a social outcast.<\/p>\n

Another interesting aspect of the film is that it was produced by Mel Brooks<\/a>, who became instrumental in getting the film made after his wife Anne Bancroft gave him the script to read.<\/p>\n

When viewed in the context of Lynch’s career it has may seem different to his darker films such as Blue Velvet<\/a>, Wild at Heart<\/a> or Mulholland Drive<\/a> but it demonstrates his early skills as a filmmaker and his taste for the fringes of society.<\/p>\n

The extras include the following:<\/p>\n