The Elephant Man. David Lynch.

Watched The Elephant Man by David Lynch for the first time. You can definitely notice Lynch's directorial newness and his developing style. There were a few insert shots that came and went very awkwardly making transitions rather jarring. One scene would end and the next scene would begin very markedly independent from the last; didn't really seem to fit. The most memorable scene for me was when Merrick was officially granted admittance in the hospital and was later that night ambushed by the drunken crowds who had paid to see him. It was shot so well.














Notice how the scene opens with a long shot of Merrick all alone. It's such a sad moment as we see Merrick going through all the motions of "normal men" in society. The pleasure-seekers then invade the room, but they are not his friends. Throughout the scene, Lynch closes in on that nice open shot that began the scene by employing mostly close ups to create a sense of claustrophobia. The shots supplant the feeling of being in a whirlwind, dizziness, the lack of breath, the lack of control, stuffiness and utter entrapment. At the end of the scene, however, Lynch leaves us where we, and Merrick, started - all alone.