The Elephant Man, dir: David Lynch

[Monty]

Rob,

As a white male, I was very self concious of entering the sari shop. However, I was seeing a Gujurti girl some years ago and did persuede her to go in with me as a cover.

It was wall to wall clothing, and very high too, so really couldnt see much of the structure.

The film was very true to life re the scenery. Not exact but near as.

Only problem, for me, was the use of his name. Theres no evidence he, nor anyone, used the name John.

One interesting fact is that he had been in hospital before. In his 20s he had a growth removed from his nose. The op was conducted at the Leicester Royal Infirmary. I keep meaning to see if I can gain access to their archives but never got around to it.

Monty

[Archaic]

Photo of 259 Whitechapel Road

Hi, Rob.

I haven't seen that film yet, but it sounds like one worth watching.

I'm very glad you said that it was sympathetic to Merrick and portrayed him as a real human being, because if it didn't I know I couldn't
bear to watch it.

Here's a web-page for you with a photo of the Sari Centre now occupying 259 Whitechapel Road.
http://www.citikey.com/business/10048918/

Best regards, Archaic

[robhouse]

A very touching scene from the film:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_XznzJH2EY

[robhouse]

I just saw this movie last night, and just thought I would post briefly on it. First, it is a great movie I think. Very sad, yet Merrick is portrayed so sympathetically that you cannot help but empathize with him. He really seems like such a nice person. Great performances by all, especially John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins. But also Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Hannah Gordon (who played Virginia Bellamy in season 5 of Upstairs Downstairs), and also Freddy Jones who was excellent as Bytes.

"I am not an animal! I am a human being! I...am...a man!"

Great great film. Also, visually the film is stunning, thanks to David Lynch's great artistry as a director, and visual artist. I can think of no film that has portrayed Whitechapel and environs circa 1888 in such an atmospheric and powerful way. And I think the movie is at least fairly accurate in conveying a sense of Whitechapel as it was, or perhaps more accurately, how it felt.

A few points... the portrayal of the London Hospital was interesting, and I am just wondering if anyone knows how accurate the film is visually on this point... the gas jets, the patient wards, Merrick's seclusion ward, etc.

Also, it is interesting that there was some debate over whether or not to allow Merrick in the hospital at all. Presumably this is because the London Hospital's mission was to cure the sick... and Merrick was clearly uncurable, and was considered simply a "freak"... indeed Dr. Treves was criticized as a "freak collector".

Also, I found on Merrick's wikipedia entry that "At one point during his sideshow career, Merrick was exhibited in the back of an empty shop in Whitechapel (259 Whitechapel Road, E1 - now called the Ukay London Sari Centre)" -- I was wondering if anyone has been to the Saree centre, and whether the interior retains any of the old character of the "empty shop" where Merrick was exhibited. Maybe someone could go on a photo outing and post pictures...

Thanks.

Rob House