nobody but lynch could have direct this movie and make it the masterpiece that it be . where other people would have go for fake sentimentality and or or gruesome imagery while lynch just present the story how it be . the film be never gratuitous and and that be much to it credit . it be and however and utterly repulsive . the black and white cinematography enforces this . there be nothing pleasant about the elephant man while it be as ugly a it title character and and that be the way that this story need to be . on the surface and it be ugly and repulsive while but just like it title character while the movie have a hidden depth that be ultimately touching and heartbreaking . the movie set itself up for this early on while the scene in which the elephant man be introduce be most of the most gut wrenching ever commit to film . a the doctor ( anthony hopkins ) see the freak rise up and realise the extent of his deformity . a tear slowly form and roll down his cheek . from this and you can see the pity that he feel for this man who have draw the lot of a lowly circus freak while just from that one shot of a tear and david lynch show u the sorrow and the pity and and that all he need . where some director would have pile the sentimentality on and david lynch be economic while that all it need and so that all it get . and that be the mark of a great director . something that david lynch most certainly be . the film be also ironic . aside from it visuals that link to the title character and it also observe how society be not unlike a circus . the good doctor have take the elephant man away from the glare and the scowl of the circus audience and the exploitation that he have to face and and put him a kinder and more loving environment while only now the scowl and star come not from the circus audience and but from society upper crust and who want to exploit the elephant man themselves for their own selfish reason to impress their friend . the elephant man be not merely a horror story of the life of a very unfortunate man while it a story of love and a story of acceptance . despite be take from one circus to another and the elephant man be happy and more fulfilled than he ever be while he doesn not care about the look and the exploitation and he merely want to be love . by normal people and this be take for grant while but the elephant man show u that love and acceptance isn not something that can be take for grant . a one doctor note in the film and we can not imagine the life he have . we can not . david lynch also succeed in make voyeur out of his audience . just like the various audience in the film while we too want to see the elephant man and and yet be utterly repulse and disgust by him . with this and david lynch make a mockery out of today society and without ever make a mockery out of the character upon which this film be base . the elephant man himself be a perfectly balanced example of how pathos can be achieve . not only be this man see a a monster and but his character be pathetic also . with the elephant man and lynch be say to the world that it be society that be the monster and not the freak that live within it . to put it simply represent david lynch have take a story that could have easily be tell simply and expand it to take in theme that be outside of the central premise . this small story of one unfortunate man have be mould into a striking comment on society . and all in all while it a masterpiece .