The Elephant Man

In The Elephant Man, John Merrick is repeatedly exploited by people who capitalize on his physical appearance, essentially treating him as a spectacle for public amusement rather than an actual human being.

The deformed marionette puppet serves as a haunting parallel to John Merrick, suspended and moved for others’ amusement. In the end, the strings snap and the puppet sits up echoing Merrick’s own quiet liberation.