From the acclaimed director of Eraserhead, Blue Velvet and Wild At Heart, it’s the bizarre but true story of courage and human dignity. John Hurt gives the performance of a lifetime as John Merrick, the worst "freak" known to Victorian medical science, a man whose body is hideously distorted into a grotesque parody of an elephant. Rescued from a travelling freak show by Sir Frederick Treves, Merrick gradually reveals himself to be a strangely sweet and gentle man, remarkably unembittered by the degradation and torment he suffered at the circus. Beautifully shot by Freddie Francis and with an excellent supporting cast including Sir John Gielgud, Anne Bancroft and Dame Wendy Hiller, The Elephant Man is a compelling, moving and enchanting story. The film was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor.

“Lynch's powerful depiction of Merrick (played by John Hurt) moves a viewer from revulsion and fear to empathy and tenderness. That's the very movement of the story itself.” - Richard Brody, New Yorker

“Director David Lynch has created an eerily compelling atmosphere in recounting a hideously deformed man's perilous life in Victorian England.” - Variety Staff

“A marvellous movie, shot in stunning black-and-white by Freddie Francis.” - Tom Milne, Time Out