9. The Elephant Man
Definitely not your archetypical Lynch film, The Elephant Man is based on the true story of Joseph Merrick (John for the film) a deformed man living in 19th century London. Surgeon (Anthony Hopkins) Fredrick Treves frees Merrick from a traveling Victorian freak show, where his 'owner' claims he is an imbecile only fit for this world to entertain/disgust the paying public. After many an interaction, it soon becomes apparent that Merrick is both articulate and sophisticated. Later in the film, whilst trying to flee from a group of cruel harassing boys at Liverpool Street Station, Merrick accidentally knocks down a young girl. He is chased, unmasked, and cornered by an angry mob, at which point he cries out, "I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being! I ... am ... a ... man!", before collapsing. The cruel nature of those who mock Merrick despite not knowing the humanity that lies within him, are great examples of British shameful intolerance for that which is not of the norm. Mostly disguised as a stiff upper lip or going against the grain, we can sometimes appear as being nothing but ignorant to anything that is beyond our own tiny island.