The Elephant Man (Blu-ray)

{|John Hurt|} stars as John Merrick, the hideously deformed 19th century Londoner known as The Elephant Man. Treated as a sideshow freak, Merrick is assumed to be retarded as well as misshapen because of his inability to speak coherently. In fact, he is highly intelligent and sensitive, a fact made public when one Dr. Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins) rescues Merrick from a carnival and brings him to a hospital for analysis. Alas, even after being recognized as a man of advanced intellect, Merrick is still treated like a freak; no matter his station in life, he will forever be a prisoner of his own malformed body. Unable to secure rights for the famous stage play The Elephant Man, producer {|Mel Brooks|} based his film on the memoirs of {|Frederick Treves|} and a much later account of Merrick’s life by Ashley Montagu. The film is photographed in black and white by British master cinematographer {|Freddie Francis|}. Although nominated for eight Academy Awards — including nods for Hurt and Lynch — the film was ultimately shut out in every category. Across the Atlantic, it was recognized with a César Award in France as the Best Foreign-Language Film, and the BAFTA Award in England for Best Film.