Anthony Hopkins is so associated with Hannibal Lecter, that we almost forget that he did star in movies before that. "The Elephant Man", for example. It's sort of hard to determine whether the main character is disfigured John Merrick (John Hurt) or Dr. Frederick Treves (Hopkins). Either way, it's the movie's plot that's important. The plot of course shows how Merrick has been treated as a monster all his life and Treves tries to cure him. As for the possibility that the movie may have revered its subject too much...well, would you feel comfortable mocking him? A particularly interesting combo is the people behind the movie: director David Lynch and executive producer Mel Brooks (Brooks' wife Anne Bancroft appears as an actress). The former is synonymous with deliberately weird cinema, while the latter is synonymous with silliness. Both men show a different side here. All in all, this is definitely a movie that everyone should see.

THE ELEPHANT MAN (1980) **** John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, Anne Bancroft, Wendy Hiller, Freddie Jones, John Gielgud. David Lynch's masterpiece of the human spirit about the true-life account of John Merrick, a hideously deformed man in England's Victorian Age, who was taken in by a physician after a hellish stint in a freak show. Hurt rises to the occasion and delivers a heart wrenching Oscar nominated performance emoting under tons of make-up to full effect. Equally good is Hopkins in low-key form as the humanitarian doctor. Beautiful black and white photography resonates the production; nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Lynch and Best Picture. Best scenes: Hurt's recital of the 23rd Psalm and his immortal line: "I am not an animal, I am a human being!" Incredibly powerful ending perfectly accentuated by the classical "Adagio For Strings". Dare not to be moved. One of the best. – Trivia note, look for little person Kenny Baker during the carnival sequences; he's the guy inside R2-D2 in `Star Wars' and the head bandit in `Time Bandits'.

Man, this is a powerful and great movie. We are all moved different degrees by different things, but to witness sincerely nice people being treated cruelly always bothers me big- time....so this film is tough to watch in spots. Some scenes are just painful and depressing to view.

Whatever your sensitivity, the movie is very involving and hauntingly shown with eerie black-and-white photography. Eerie, and downright beautiful camera-work in here, so kudos to cinematographer Freddie Francis, one of the best in the business.

A young Anthony Hopkins is very likable and John Hurt is, well, someone you won't soon forget as John Merrick, "The Elephant Man."

This is an uplifting movie at times, too, not just a tear-jerker or horrific in showing man's cruelty to man. Be prepared for an emotional experience and an amazing story.