The screenplay was adapted by Lynch, Christopher De Vore, and Eric Bergren from Frederick Treves 's The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences (1923) and Ashley Montagu 's The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity (1971). It was shot in black-and-white and featured make-up work by Christopher Tucker.
The film The Elephant Man by David Lynch is a heart-warming film that highlights the life of John Merrick better known as the elephant man from the streets of Victorian England. Like many films this movie has received numerous reviews both good and bad. Chris Loar is an example of a man who is a true admirer of the film.
The film credits inform the audience that the story is “Based on The Elephant Man and other reminiscences by Sir Frederick Treves”, this is important because the story of the Elephant man does not seem tangible because his deformity is so extreme that it can be compared to a character in a horror movie.
Elephant Man. The film, “The Elephant Man” is based on the life of John Merrick, who was the original elephant man. John had a rare disease that imprisoned him, he felt isolated because no one wanted to be associated with him. The movie honors Merrick for being courage to face the world, despite going through bad experiences of mistreatment.
Re-examining 'the Elephant Man' By Nadja Durbach Nadja Durbach questions the extent to which Joseph Merrick, known as the Elephant Man, was exploited during his time in a Victorian 'freakshow', and asks if it wasn't perhaps the medical establishment, often seen as his saviour, who really took advantage of Merrick and his condition.