Jan 27th   
The Elephant Man**    
(National Film Theatre)

(GB 1980)  
EMI/Brooksfilms. 118m. bw Panavision

A horribly deformed man is taken out of a fairground freak show and looked after by a young doctor.
Unpleasant and uncomfortable to watch in phases, with the director indulging himself in the steamy Victorian atmosphere, this nonetheless richly absorbing hospital drama generally compels through its sincerity, mainly due to Hurt's moving performance under the prosthetics. The most astounding aspect of all this is that it is based quite closely on fact. 

Written by: Christopher De Vore, Eric Bergren, David Lynch.
Producer: Jonathan Sanger.
Director: David Lynch.
Starring: John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, Freddie Jones. John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Anne Bancroft, Michael Elphick, Hannah Gordon, Dexter Fletcher, Kenny Baker.
Photography: Freddie Francis.
Music: John Morris.
Elephant Man Make-up: Christopher Tucker (taken from the original Elephant Man's skeleton).

+ screening followed by an engaging interview with Dexter Fletcher, who turned 14 years old during the making of the film