The elephant man

Un film che tutti dovrebbero vedere, diretto e interpretato in modo magistrale, su una tematica sempre attuale.

Recensito in Italia il 28 novembre 2022

L’immagine e l’audio sono di alta qualità ed è stato un regalo super apprezzato :-) Consiglio

Recensito in Italia il 2 ottobre 2022

Il film non ha bisogno di presentazione: uno dei capisaldi della filmografia e dell’immaginifico regista David Lynch.
Vi farà pensare ed emozionare

Recensito in Italia il 16 maggio 2017

Storia di John Merrick, sofferente della sindrome di Proteo, che gli porta deformazioni su tutto il corpo e particolarmente sulla testa, per cui viene chiamato "The Elephant man". Destinato ad essere un fenomeno da baraccone, viene notato da un dottore, Frederick Treves, che vuole studiare questo caso clinico. Comincerà così la riabilitazione di Merrick nella società, che fino ad allora lo ha considerato un "diverso"e quindi un elemento da ripudiare. Bellissimo film con delle tematiche molto profonde. Bravissimi gli interpreti Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt e Anne Bancroft. Ottima la qualità del BD nonostante l'età della pellicola. Film in bianco e nero con immagini nitide e ottimi contrasti, audio molto buono. Consigliato.

5 persone l'hanno trovato utile

Imballo scarso - custodia danneggiata - disco ok

Michele

Recensito in Italia il 20 novembre 2022

Il pacco era costituito da una semplice busta in plastina non imbottita. La cover del dvd si è rotta nel tragitto (poco male), mentre il disco non ha subito danni. Suggerisco una busta imbottita. Nel complesso sono soddisfatto.

Una persona l'ha trovato utile

Bellissima versione di elephant man con 2 dischi umo Blueray e

Raf- Plus

Recensito in Italia il 21 febbraio 2021

La custodia contiene 2 dischi umo in Blueray normale quindi si vede in HD é una in 4 k che
Necessita il lettore e la tv 4k . Il film si vede benissimo in entrambi. I formati ,purtroppo il documentario e gli extra sono solo nella versione 4 k.

sebastiano giuliano

The Elefant Man blu ray

Recensito in Italia il 16 giugno 2015

Bellissimo film drammatico,tratta l'argomento della diversita',grandi attori come ANTHONY HOPKINS( IL SILENZIO DEGLI INNOCENTI- HANNIBAL- THOR 3d- IL RITO- IL caso Thomas Crawford- NOAH 3D- Vi presento JOE BLACK- QUEL CHE RESTA DEL GIORNO- THOR THE DARK WORLD 3d- RED DRAGON- La maschera di zorro- Vento di passioni- DRACULA di BRAM STOKER- WOLFAM-RED & RED 2- AMISTAD- ALEXANDER), ANNE BANCROFT( Soldato JANE), JOHN HURT( ALIEN 1979- SNOWPIERCER- HARRY POTTER...ecc..da non perdere in alta definizione .

Recensito in Italia il 7 agosto 2017

Uno di quei film, che ti rimangono in memoria.
La cruda e difficile e sofferente vita di un uomo affetto da diversità.
Le reazioni degli altri essere umani che lo considerano un mostro. Poi un genio.
Poi, non lo dico per chi, ancora lo deve vedere.
Un esempio di buon cinema.

2 persone l'hanno trovato utile

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didi leblond

un pure chef-d'oeuvre tellement touchant ...

Recensito in Francia il 3 ottobre 2023

un grand classique tellement sensible qu'on ne peux qu'avoir la larme à l'oeil , édition bluray évidemment superbe qualité d'image , très content de mon achat !!!

Una persona l'ha trovato utile

Richard S. Warner

David Lynch's Finest Moment

Recensito in Canada il 14 novembre 2009

David Lynch was, for the most part, an unknown when Hollywood, specifically Mel Brooks ( of all people !!! ), took him on to direct "The Elephant Man". He had only one feature film under his belt at the time, the incredibly dark, disturbing and hypnotically dreamlike "Eraserhead". Not exactly a precedent for taking on a film of such deeply moving and upsetting emotional tenor, but Brooks had complete faith in him. That faith was paid off in spades.

"The Elephant Man", since deleted by Paramount ( !!! ), is, in my opinion one of the best films of all time. The cast is incredible. John Hurt gives his greatest performance to date and he is completely unrecognizable as John ( Joseph ) Merrick. Anthony Hopkins' Frederic Treves is a study in reserve and restraint with tumultuous emotions and conflicts boiling under the surface. Freddie Jones as the slimy, despicable Mr. Bytes conjurs up both a hatred of his callous, opportunistic exploitation of another man's suffering and something akin to pity for the "losing his grip" desparation he portrays. Sir John Gielgud is Sir John Gielgud, all class, refinement and authority. And Dame Wendy Hiller transforms from a seemingly heartless, officious dragon lady into a woman of true compassion and strength. Finally a special mention of Anne Bancroft's turn as Dame Madge Kendall is absolutely necessary. For it's in the scene where she brings John Merrick the collected works of William Shakespeare and they randomly pick a scene from "Romeo and Juliet" to read from where we have the most heart-rending emotional moment in the entire film. I defy anyone not to be VERY deeply moved, even to tears, when she tells Mr. Merrick " ... you're Romeo".

The film is shot in black and white which is a stroke of genius. All that black, white and gray summons up the grit and inhuman texture of the early industrial revolution in dirty old London. It also functions as a metaphor for the gray areas of moral ambiguity that challenge both the characters in the film and the Victorian mores that alternately reach out to "do the Christian thing" and that see John Merrick merely as a "circus animal".

As "Hollywood" as the film was ( a big budget Paramount picture ) Lynch gets to fly here and the film is absolutely full to the brim with his stylistic signatures. The dream sequences hearken back to "Eraserhead", also in black and white. There are those industrial sounds too, so marvellously recorded and altered by Alan Splet, another "Eraserhead" alumnus. Also a strong visual signifier from the "Eraserhead" palette are the infamous "holes" or openings that, in the Lynch visual lexicon, connote portals of transition to another level of consciousness. What strikes me most here is how EACH AND EVERY shot is a shining example of brilliant composition. Each one is framable and warrants hours of attention. Lynch's vision is almost "Rembrandtian", playing beautifully with stunning contrasts of lights and darks, with chiaroscuro as it were.

"The Elephant Man" is an entirely satisfying, artistically outstanding, and emotionally cathartic experience that stands the test of time with great strength and style. David Lynch's finest work.

5 persone l'hanno trovato utile

RMurray847

A MASTERPIECE...pure and simple!

Recensito negli Stati Uniti il 30 maggio 2003

As I sit down to write this review, my experiences with it from my youth came flooding back. I first saw it as a 17 year old high-schooler at my local movie theater, late one evening. I had seen, and enjoyed, the Broadway play a few months earlier, and wanted to see how the movie compared. The play, I should say, was very moving and had a certain spareness in its production design that was very effective. I had left the theatre with a moist eye and an interest in learning more about John Merrick, The Elephant Man (who had neurofibromatosis, NOT elephantitis, as is so often attributed to him).

Anyway, when the movie concluded, the ENTIRE audience of 150 or so sat in its seats, numbed and unmoving. It was one of those experiences where you fight back your tears, because you're worried if you let go, you'll start bawling like a baby! The film was so profoundly moving to me and so artistically brilliant, that I went again the very next day, dragging reluctant friends with me. They were all stunned. I watched it AGAIN later that week.

I've watched it on video a couple of times years ago, but until I rewatched it recently on DVD, it had been nearly 10 years since I'd seen it.

The story is set in the early turn-of-the-twentieth-century London. John Merrick (John Hurt) is, for lack of a better word, enslaved as a sideshow freak. He has the most hideous growths on his bones, which give him a frightening appearance. His head is probably three times bigger than a normal human, and the shape resembles a lumpy dirigible. His limbs are mostly tangled messes. Noted physician Dr. Treves (Anthony Hopkins) hears of this "elephant man" and is fascinated so greatly by his condition that he brings him to his hospital for study. Everyone has always assumed this man must be a mute "idiot." Turns out that Merrick is a gentle, thoughtful and almost unbearably forgiving soul. The relationship that emerges between Treves and Merrick, as well as with Merrick and virtually everyone he encounters, is at the heart of this film.

(Note of caution: The movie does not follow John Merrick's life terribly accurately...neither did the play. When I read the biography of Merrick that his doctor, Treves, wrote, I got his "true" story, which is just as moving in its own way.)

David Lynch, we all know, is a "difficult" director, at least when it comes to narrative continuity. This movie, however, is his most accessible (along with THE STRAIGHT STORY, which doesn't even feel like a Lynch movie). It tells a straightforward story...no dancing dwarfs, no little people behind radiators, no Wizard of Oz references, etc. etc. No Laura Palmer. However, the touches he brings to it are pure Lynch, and they serve the movie profoundly.

For example, the movie takes place in the midst of the early Industrial Revolution, when science was becoming more "popular" or "glorified" by the masses. It was also a time when London was awash in factories, and all the noise and pollution they wrought. If you've seen ERASERHEAD or DUNE, you know that Lynch likes to have lots of background noises of machinery. Often, those sounds are distracting. In ELEPHANT MAN, we are constantly aware, through these sounds, that we are in a very specific time and place, where the lifeblood of society was machinery, but big, dirty, unsubtle, dangerous machinery. This, coupled with the glorious black and white cinematography, truly create a mood that is unequaled.
Also, there are some brief dream sequences in which Merrick sees his mother. She flits in and out of his dreams in a manner only Lynch can evoke. No one has ever been better at capturing on film the elusive nature of dreaming...that dreams are a crazy combination of good things and bad things happening all at once. These dreams are not a "device" but a window into Merrick's soul.

Those of us who remember when the film first came out remember the constant rehashing of the "I am not an animal, I am a human being, I am a MAN!!" line that Merrick yells out when cornered in a train station. This howl of despair is one of the most gripping moments EVER put to film. I tear-up just thinking about it.

The makeup is incredible. Having seen photos of the real Merrick, I can state that the makeup crew got it right! And the black and white helps to mask any imperfections. And underneath the makeup...
...is John Hurt, a fabulous actor in the role of his lifetime. He brings a delicacy and gentleness to the part that has to bee seen to be believed. I guarantee you'll be moved.

Hurt is ably assisted by Anthony Hopkins in a role which calls for restraint, and he delivers, which is unusual for Hopkins, who can overact at the drop of a hat...I love him, but sometimes he can overdo it, you must admit. The rest of the cast is full of familiar British character actors, as well as a brief but incandescent appearance by Anne Bancroft. Everyone is at their very best.

Initially, the film snags the viewer because of our fascination at seeing a human being so horrifically monstrous. It holds a lurid fascination that fades into compassion and empathy. If a person as horribly mistreated by his fellow man, as well as by fate, can find beauty, forgiveness, tenderness and love flowing from him and to him...well, the film leaves you to draw your own personal conclusions.

I know that Lynch receives more ongoing accolades for his disturbing BLUE VELVET, and of course, for the groundbreaking TWIN PEAKS...but THE ELEPHANT MAN is the one I'm always drawn back to.

I simply cannot recommend this film highly enough. Moviemaking doesn't get any more heartbreaking and effective than this masterpiece.

114 persone l'hanno trovato utile

Rocquencourt Yannick

Un classique

Recensito in Francia il 22 luglio 2023

Eh oui la 4k apporte quelque chose aux films en noir et blanc ! Joli contraste et l'histoire toujours convaincante et cette fin toujours aussi bouleversante. Le steelbook rend bien hommage à l'œuvre.

Tita Fürst - Koren

Ich bin kein Tier, ich bin ein Mensch, ich bin ein Mann

Recensito in Germania il 22 luglio 2018

Die Geschichte des "Elephant Man's" ist die eines Menschen, Joseph "John" Merrick. Er lebte in viktorianischen England und wurde wegen seines Aussehens als Elefantenmensch genannt.
Der Film hält sich ziemlich genau an die Fakten. Es existiert ein Bild des "echten" John Merrick, das ein Jahr vor seinem Tod gemacht wurde. John Merrick wurde 1868 geboren, in den zweiten Lebensjahr wurde sein Kopf immer größer, der Körper sehr deformiert. Nur der linke Arm blieb beweglich. Man weiß, dass er auf Jahrmarkten gezeigt wurde. Dort sah ihn der Chirurg Frederick Treves, holte ihn ins Krankenhaus und versuchte ihm das Leben etwas zu erleichtern. Er fand aus, dass Merrick durchaus intellegent war, zwar etwas kindlich und naiv. Zwischen den beiden entwickelte sich eine "Freundschaft", die bis Merrick's Tod dauerte. Er starb mit 22 Jahren (1890) vermutlich wegen eines Herzinfarktes. Er wurde liegend im Bett gefunden, was für einen Freitod sprechen könnte. Er konnte nämlich wegen der starken Verformungen des Rückens nicht normal schlafen. Wegen seines Kopfes bestand die Gefahr einer Asphyxie. Die Untersuchungen, die wir heute kennen, weisen auf ein Proteus Sindrom, dazu kam noch Mb. von Recklinghausen, genetische, unheilbare Krankheten. Noch heute. Mb. Proteus wurde erst 1979 bekannt (Wikipedia).
Soviel zu der Geschichte.

Einer wollte sie verfilmen, und zwar der damals noch weitgehend unbekannte Reisseur David Lynch. Er hatte mit Eraserhead (1977) einen beachtilichen Erfolg gehabt, doch der Film war nur für das bestimmte Publikum interessant.
1980 mit 34 Jahren hatte er die Idee zum Film The Elephant Man soweit, dass er Produzenten suchte. Nach einigem Suchen fand er Mel Brooks, der dann noch zwei "Investoren" begeistern konnte. Auch die Schauspieler/innen ließen sich auf ein sehr schweres Projekt.
Lynch drehte den Film in London, wo er das "Viktorianische" bis ins kleinste Detail durchdacht hat.

Was bewegt die Menschen, dass wir das Ungewöhnliche sehen wollen? Damals wie heute? Warum besucht man einen Jahrmarkt? Um etwas zu erleben, dass man dann zuhause bei Licht und Wärme weiter erzählen kann? Wenn die Aussicht auf einen Elefantenmenschen besteht, geht Alt und Jung dorthin.
Wer vermutet schon, dass hinter entstellten großen Kopf ein Gehirn ist, das denken kann, wer sieht hinter dem entstellten Körper ein Herz, dass lieben vermag? Die Vorstellung, das man ein Monster sieht, halb Mensch, halb Tier, ist viel mehr real. Was wir nicht kennen, das bennen wir mit exotischen Namen, nehmen den "Kreaturen" jegliche Möglichkeit sich zu wehren.
Aber, war der Arzt so viel besser, als er zwar John half in einem Zimmer im Krankenhaus zu wohnen, dann aber erlaubte er, dass ihn die hohe Gesellschaft besuchte? Die mit ihm "schön" sprach, ihn sehen wollte, weil das modern und menschlich war. Nur die Mothershead (die leitende Krankenschwester) fand die rechten Worte. Sie sagte dem Arzt geradeaus, dass er John mit solchen Besuchen nicht helfe.
Es musste etwas passieren, damit auch der Arzt in John einen ebenbürtigen Menschen sehen konnte. Im Film wird das durch John's Entführung gezeigt, sein alter "Herr" hatte ihn nach Frankreich gebracht um ihn wieder als Monster zu zeigen. Erst nach der Flucht (ihm halfen die Zirkusleute, alle mit irgendeinem "Makel") sieh der Arzt DEN MENSCHEN in ihm.

John Hurt spielte die Rolle perfekt, hinter der schweren Maske konnte er Gefühle zeigen. Anthony Hopkins als dr. Frederick Treves glänzt in der Rolle eines Arztes, der zuerst mehr aus Neugier dem Elefantenmenschen half.
Die Frauen waren es, die am besten mit ihm kommunziert haben. Mrs. Madge Kendall, eine Schauspielerin, sprach mit John normal, sie ekelte sich nicht. In der Rolle überzeugte Anne Bancroft (die Ehefrau von Mel Brooks). Auch die anderen Schauspieler sind Créme de la Créme, von John Gielgud, der den Krankenhausdirektor Francis Carr-Gomm spielte, bis Wendy Miller, die schon erwähnte Krankenschwester verkörperte.

Der Film lässt keinen kalt. Als ich ihn zum ersten Mal sah, dachte ich, da hat sich einer EINE wirklich grosse Arbeit angetan. Auch ich war, wie die Menschen damals, fasziniert von John Merrick, habe mich am Beginn sogar gefürchtet. Die schwarz-weiße Bilder haben bei mir die Gefühle noch verstärkt. Das wollte Lynch auch.
Nach Jahren und jetzt wieder kann ich im Film hinter Kulissen sehen. Jetzt sehe ich vom Beginn an John Merrick als einen kranken Menschen, dessen Körper zwar entstellt war, die Seele, das Herz..., alles andere aber rein, rein wie die Bilder eines Raffael's. Man muß nur lange genug hinter der Maske schauen, dann sieht man die Augen, in denen sich die Sterne, das Himmel, die Unendlichkeit verstecken und nur warten, dass man sie findet. Dann, ganz hinten findet man etwas sehr kostbares: DIE LIEBE ohne Einschränkungen, DIE LIEBE, die alles verzeiht, die alles zulässt, DIE LIEBE, die manche auch GOTT nennen.
Ein wirklich guter Film eines sehr sehr speziellen Regisseurs, dem NICHTS Menschliches fremd ist.
Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto (Terenz).

19 persone l'hanno trovato utile