Deconstructing David Lynch’s “The Elephant Man”: A Mirror of Humanity
“The Elephant Man” is a deeply affecting narrative centered on Joseph Merrick, a man living with severe deformities in Victorian England. Initially exploited as a sideshow attraction, Merrick’s life shifts when he encounters Dr. Frederick Treves, who brings him to a hospital. This act of kindness offers Merrick a semblance of human decency and a chance at a dignified existence.
Directed by David Lynch, “The Elephant Man” deviates from his earlier, more overtly bizarre work like “Eraserhead,” opting for a more unsettling and somber tone compared to later films such as “Wild at Heart” and “Mulholland Drive.” Nevertheless, it firmly establishes Lynch’s distinctive style, which has become synonymous with “Lynchian” cinema.
Upon its release in 1980, the film was met with critical acclaim and commercial success and garnered eight Academy Award nominations. But beyond the accolades, what is the deeper meaning of “The Elephant Man”? Is it simply a heart-wrenching account of Merrick’s tragic life, or something more profound?
Perhaps, Joseph Merrick serves as a mirror, reflecting the complexities and contradictions inherent in humanity. Through characters like Dr. Treves, Lynch exposes the darkness, hypocrisy, and exploitation that exist within human society – a world where everyone is, to some extent, culpable.
Let’s delve deeper into “The Elephant Man” through the lens of “Lynchian” aesthetics to better understand David Lynch’s message.
The Genesis of Lynchian Style
David Lynch once described his creative process with a quote that vividly encapsulates his approach. This unconventional perspective can be traced back to his student film, “Six Men Getting Sick,” which hinted at his preoccupation with darker themes. His debut feature, “Eraserhead,” released in 1977, further solidified his unsettling style, shocking audiences worldwide. This led to the coinage of the term “Lynchian” to describe Lynch’s singular style.
Defining Lynchian
Lynchian is more than a style; it’s an atmosphere. Consider these images:
- The quaint towns harboring dark secrets in “Blue Velvet”
- The eerie, nocturnal escapades showcased in “Lost Highway.”
- The unsettling, dream-like atmosphere of “Mulholland Drive.”
Since “Eraserhead,” David Lynch’s films have consistently evoked a sense of unease, gloom, contradiction, confusion, and dark humor, crafting a visually striking and often surreal experience.
Lynchian Elements in “The Elephant Man”
Lynch believes traditional narrative structures stifle imagination. Only by freeing oneself from such constraints can a person express the internal landscape. This explains the sense of disorientation viewers often experience watching a Lynch film. In “The Elephant Man,” this pervading unease is particularly evident in the opening and closing scenes.
Opening Montage:
Rapid images of a mother, an elephant, and a forest flash across the screen, accompanied by painful cries and frantic trumpeting. It’s an ambiguous sequence, setting a dark, unsettling tone immediately, forewarning the audience of the journey ahead.
The Theater Scene:
Merrick watches a play alongside an actress, which creates a mysterious ambiance through flashing images, smoke, and exaggerated actions.The content of the performance echos Meerrick’s plight of being rescued from isolation, further blurring the lines of reality for the characters and the audience.
The sense of being almost close enough to touch true freedom in the play, but Merrick remaining out of reach highlights the complex unease that the director encapsulates throughout the film.
Is Everyone Evil in “The Elephant Man”?
“The Elephant Man,” based on a true story, features a multitude of characters. David Lynch utilizes his surreal narrative skills to amplify humanity’s darkest characteristics, which relays that everyone bears culpability.
Bytes, The Hospital Boiler Man,
Bytes is the owner of the freak show where he discovers Merrick. Bytes views Meerrick, not as a person with feelings, instead as a spectacle to be exploited for financial gain.
Like Bytes, the Boiler Man commits his crimes under the cloak of night. Both commit outright abuses of the tormented Merrick: Bytes from sheer greed, the Boiler Man from depravity.
The Facade of Goodness: Hypocrisy and Self-Interest
Even characters who seem to be doing good possess hidden motives.
The facade of goodness in “The Elephant Man” can be seen in the actions of many different characters throughout the film: the seemingly well-intentioned Dr. Treves, and condescending Mrs. Kendal.
Dr. Treves: He seeks to study Merrick for fame and recognition.
Mrs. Kendal: Condescending pity.
The Gaze of Indifference: Collective Evil
Lynch doesn’t focus on slander, but the effect silence plays in expressing human negativity.
It’s an age old example: those who appear indifferent through silent judgement and those with a lack of action in justice, contribute to a problem to the greatest degree.
The feeling of isolation felt by Merrick as he walks through different spaces that were thought to protect him, such as the hospital and the city, reveals the lack of hope for redemption.
Examples of this include, those at the Circus, The doctor’s medical conference, People in a public restroom.
Hope Emerges: The Dawn of Kindness
Although David Lynch favors the darker side of human nature, he does offer a glimmer of hope. Throughout the film, Mierrick interacts with those intent upon helping him, as the people in the theater accepting the elephant man, symbolize that kindness from human nature continues to emerge. In addition to the kindness of humans, even the dwarves, born with deformities like Mierrick, prove to carry even greater understanding of his hardship which emerges into compassion.
Throughout the film the characters Dr. Treves experiences the most significant level of transition that leads to the development of compassion and the ability to help Mierrick to the greatest degree.
Real World Reflections on the lessons of human transformation
We are born of good heart, transformed by a cold world:
- Focus more on positivity
- Practice gratitude frequently
- Employ empathy often
Conclusion
David Lynch uses surrealism to encapsulate themes of darkness and evil that leave you in an emotional state, making “The Elephant Man” an exceptional work.
Lynch states through Merrick the darkness of the human condition, but hopes that goodness in humanity still exists to offer hope for the world!