The Elephant Man

"The Elephant Man", directed by David Lynch, is the remarkable 1980's film inspired by the true story in the streets of London during the Victorian Age and is based around the life of John Merrick, the man ridiculed by his owner, Bytes, and others, and known to all as 'The Elephant Man' due to his hideous deformities.

The film follows John Merrick's life in a relatively faithful way from the time that Sir Frederick Treves finds him working in a Victorian freak show. After he takes him to the hospital, Treves discovers that behind 'The Elephant Man', there is a human being that deserves to live with the same dignity as any other man. John Merrick's efforts for having a normal life, his struggle to adapt to society and Treves' doubts on his intentions are the core story of David Lynch's film.

The beautiful black and white tone mixed with the sad and sinister dark lighting gives the film a gentle horrifying and, yet at the same time, calm mood.

With this film, David Lynch grasps his viewers and stretches them to a new parallel of an emotionally capturing film in showing John Merrick beaten, abused, harassed, humiliated, and tormented. Treves somewhat saves Merrick from those who persecute him for being a freak, for being a monster. One powerful scene of tension and curiosity, Merrick screams out, 'I am not an animal! I am a human being! I am a man!' This scene is incredible and it ties in with the whole focus of the film itself, emotion and human dignity.

The final scene of the film finds Merrick committing an act of lying on his back to sleep, which he is aware will kill him. After examining a painting of a small girl lying flat, he imitates her in a final attempt to be 'normal,' resulting in his implied death. He drifts off to sleep as the words of his deceased mother ring out in his head. 'Nothing will die.'

"The Elephant Man" is a great film. It is sad and depressing, yet it is brilliant and very moving. It makes you cry for John Merrick, not just for pity but for sympathy. It makes you realize that we are all human, despite our disadvantages. It also makes you realize that one man knows that despite his condition, he knows he's all right.

Lizzy   =)

Cape Fear

Director J Lee Thompson's 1962 suspense thriller "Cape Fear" is a perfectly crafted film from the black and white shooting by Sam Leavitt to help create a sordid and dark atmosphere to the spine-tingling musical score by the master Bernard Hermann to the excellent cast, such as Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum, who provide exceptional performances.

Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck) is a lawyer who is happily married to his wife, Peggy, with a teenage daughter, Nancy. He has a quiet life and little worries to care for until released convict, Max Cady (Robert Mitchum) is seeking revenge against him. Cady blames Bowden for his 8 years of imprisonment because Bowden failed to get him an innocent verdict in court by testifying against him for a serious crime he was accused of (and he had committed). Cady starts by stalking Bowden and his family by showing up wherever Bowden and his family go but always stays within the confines of the law while making life miserable for Bowden. Throughout the film, Bowden does everything legally possible to protect his family but he finds he is powerless under the law. He then has no other choice but to get down and dirty in order to deal with a totally amoral man in order to protect his family. It all ends in a showdown on the river of Cape Fear.

Robert Mitchum stands out with his outstanding performance as the relentless villain. His character, Max Cady, is already frightening, as he is just not a lunatic, but a clever and ruthless fiend who is careful and meticulous in every detail of his diabolical schemes.

Lizzy   =)