Following his ground-breaking Eraserhead, David Lynch offered audiences a much more accessible work with this black-and-white biopic.

Adapted from a book about the original John Merrick, it centres on how this hideously disfigured man manages to negotiate a way through Victorian society. In portraying a character on the edge, it was a glimpse of what was to come in the director’s highly original if not always consistent career. 

This film is screening as part of Essential Cinema 2013. Tickets: special package price €32 (€28 IFI Members) for all four films. This ticket package can only be purchased in person at the IFI Box Office. Regular ticket prices apply to individual screenings and can be bought online or in person.