Joseph Merrick

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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — From Hell

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CherryTwirl — 14 years ago(November 01, 2011 11:37 AM)

Didn't see the relevance of the elephant man clip at all!

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pelopen3bc — 14 years ago(November 03, 2011 06:58 PM)

In the movie, I agree, it is a somewhat forced reference. I believe they did it for two reasons:

1. To give the film more context by making a cultural reference to the time - Joseph Merrick was indeed under care at the Royal London Hospital at the time.
2. As a nod to the source material, Alan Moore's
   From Hell
   .
   In the original graphic novel, Joseph Merrick is incorporated quite nicely. For one, the killer actually converses with Merrick. Jack the Ripper views him as an incarnation of Ganesha - the Hindu deity with the head of an elephant with one tusk. Jack the Ripper also offers up the first murder to Merrick as Ganesha. So that would be the connection.

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puirt-a-beul — 14 years ago(March 23, 2012 07:10 AM)

Errr, I beg your pardon,
heh heh
, Mr
John
Merrick.
You might very well think that. I couldn't possibly comment.

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inkwarp — 11 years ago(May 11, 2014 01:27 PM)

you beat me to it
Joseph Carey Merrick was indeed the real name of the real elephant man : )
i have to watch this film now just because of that reference : )

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spmact — 9 years ago(November 02, 2016 06:12 PM)

I wondered the same thing after recently seeing the movie. I was going to post the same question. Thanks for beating me to it. I guess there's no real answer.