The Elephant Man (film) me hate acting." Because of the strain on the actor, he worked alternate days. Lynch originally wanted Jack Nance for the title character. "But it just wasn't in the cards," Lynch says; the role went to John Hurt after Brooks, Lynch and Sanger saw his performance in "The Naked Civil Servant" as Quentin Crisp. Lynch bookended the film with surrealist sequences centered around Merrick's mother and her death. Lynch used Samuel Barber’s "Adagio for Strings" to underline the end of the film and Merrick's own death. The film's composer, John Morris, argued against using the music, stating that "this piece
Man on Fire (1987 film) "The New York Times" said that the film "always seems about to slip into unconsciousness." Lloyd Sachs of the "Chicago Sun-Times" said, "Unfortunately, when it's required to make sense, 'Man on Fire' doesn't. Which is too bad, because Glenn's strong physical and emotional presence deserves better. All things considered, it's one of the best things he's done." Eleanor Ringel of "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution" said that the film "burns itself out well before it's done" even though Scott Glenn "manages to strike a few sparks along the way." John H. Richardson of the "Los Angeles Daily News" called "Man on Fire"