And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Elephant Man!
Earlier in the year, I watched The Straight Story as it was one I had been meaning to do for some time - and the passing of David Lynch was as good as any reason to get off my lazy arse and watch it. And here, we have a similar situation: This one has gone down as one of David Lynch's finest works, proving that, beyond the veil of his surrealist impulses, lies a deep interest in humanism.
And this is indeed a remarkable film: It's not just the humanist message throughout - keep in mind this was the first time it emerged in Lynch's filmography so many would think he didn't have it in him - but how Lynch coaxed compelling performances out of his leads. Anthony Hopkins is his reliable self but John Hurt does wonders - which is impressive given he's hiding behind a mountain of makeup and effects. Through in some truly staggering black and white imagery and its easy to see why this has gone down as one of Lynch's best.
And speaking from an autistic perspective, the films most famous line - "I am not an animal! I am a human being!!" does indeed resonate.
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