THE ELEPHANT MAN (1980)

In David Lynch’s very Dickensian telling, the famously disfigured Freakshow of a man known as The Elephant Man was saved from sideshow exploitation (Monster to the ‘Penny-Dreadful’ crowd) only to be exploited more fashionably by society toffs, like an abused ‘shelter rescue’ still too scared to look under the tea-cozy for human contact & warmth.  Poetic, beautifully realized, etched in misted b&w backstreet settings (wondrously lit by cinematographer Freddie Francis), the film more a weepie than you may recall, with Lynch hitting emotional notes he wouldn’t try again till THE STRAIGHT STORY/’99.  As morally conflicted doctor and grateful ward, Anthony Hopkins (thoughtfully brusque) and John Hurt (opening up to this brave new world) pull off a double act for the ages, outstandingly supported by hospital ‘good guys’ John Gielgud and the always remarkable Wendy Hiller* (the two functioning much like Oliver Twist’s protectors, the film even imagining a third-act kidnapping) while Freddy Jones plays in the mold of Robert Newton’s Bill Sykes from David Lean’s OLIVER TWIST/’48.  Anne Bancroft, as actress Mrs Kendal (she got husband Mel Brooks involved as producer, he helped get her the part*) has a superior bit of business on first meeting when she goes into acting mode to keep from being revolted by the deformities, before succumbing to his innocence and simplicity of feeling.  (Hannah Gordon, as Hopkins’ wife, even better with a similar routine.)  Memorable stuff, and looking only stronger four+ decades on.

SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY:  *Is Wendy Hiller the only actress ever to bat 1000 on screen?

DOUBLE-BILL/LINK:  Make like the Greeks who’d find a related comedy to act as palette cleanser after that night’s tragedy with THE TALL GUY/’89 where an inspired Jeff Goldblum, stage stooge to horrible boss Rowan Atkinson, finds a new role starring in a stupendously funny musical adaptation of THE ELEPHANT MAN, titled ELEPHANT!  https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-tall-guy-1989.html

CONTEST:  David Lynch fought to use Samuel Barber’s mournful/moving ‘Adagio for Strings’ in the last section of this film. Probably the best film use of this oft-sampled music.  (Barber even made a choral piece out of it.  Gorgeous, yet again.)  Name at least three more prominent uses of the piece on film or tv to win a MAKSQUIBS WriteUp of the streamable film of your choice.  (No Googling, please.)

ATTENTION MUST BE PAID:  *And kudos to Mel Brooks who gave Lynch the nod to direct the initial film at his new Paramount-based BrooksFilms outfit after seeing Lynch’s sole credit at the time, the deeply weird, deeply experimental ERASERHEAD/’77.