The Elephant Man October 22, 2010

'The Elephant Man' is based on the true story of John Merrick, a man so appallingly deformed that he spends his early years as a circus show freak. A compassionate doctor, Treves, sees through Merrick's hideous facade to the sensitive human within. Treves educates the extraordinary Merrick and introduces him to society with great, though superficial success. But Treves questions his role in Merrick's transformation. He senses that Merrick's new celebrity dooms him. Though the audience is more refined and the circumstances more plush, Merrick is destined always to be regarded as a freak. Merrick is perceptive enough to understand Treves ambivalence, and still feel grateful. In the end, he gracefully embraces a heart wrenching solution to his dilemma.