Freaks (1932)

Rightfully considered as standing alone in a subgenre of one, Freaks has well-balanced characters, an engaging atmosphere, and a controversial yet important message, that still holds up. Historically condemned and met with lackluster contemporary reception, Freaks is now considered culturally and aesthetically important – for several reasons, ranging from the daring vision of its director, to the unsettling plot, making the viewer confront his/her own stereotypes.Overall 7/10 See full review: https://movie-discourse.blogspot.de/2017/11/freaks-usa-1932.html

Greedy and conniving circus trapeze artist Cleopatra (a nicely cold and calculating portrayal by the stunning Olga Baclanova) decides to marry proud midget Hans (the excellent Harry Earles). However, after the other freaks in the circus discover that Cleopatra only married Hans for his inheritance as well as is having an affair with cruel strongman Hercules (a perfectly hateful performance by Henry Victor), they decide to exact a harsh revenge.The key triumph of Tod Browning's controversial masterpiece is how Browning sees the humanity and fierce loyalty in a group of unique individuals who are commonly perceived as monstrous and grotesque. Indeed, Browning treats the titular malformed characters with great respect and compassion. Moreover, Browning offers a flavorsome evocation of the circus milieu, wisely avoids crude sensationalism in favor of absorbing melodrama (although the conclusion does qualify as truly nightmare inducing horror fodder), and even further spices things up with a wickedly funny sense of perverse humor. The thoughtful script by Willis Goldbeck and Leon Gordon makes a powerful and provocative central point on how physical beauty can't compensate for a gross lack of decency and morality. The fine acting rates as another major asset: Leila Hyams makes an appealing impression as the sweet Venus, Wallace Ford brings lots of charm and energy to his colorful role as jolly smartaleck clown Phroso, Roscoe Ates contributes an amusing turn as the stuttering Roscoe, and Daisy Earles does fine and touching work as Hans's concerned girlfriend Frieda. The brutal climax packs a startling punch, with the ultimate fate of Cleopatra in particular proving to be extremely ironic and disturbing. Kudos are also in order for Merritt B. Gerstad's crisp black and white cinematography. Worthy of its classic status.

an eccentric film. a definition who could be enough for give the right verdict in this case. a horror. or an experiment. a crazy idea. awful. cruel, chaotic, crazy, bizarre, absurd. each word about it is correct. but, for me, it is one of the most touching films of all the times. a splendid love story. and a delicate poem about the small details who are so easy ignored. the world of circus. and few great characters. the courage of Tom Browning to give to the public the life, emotions and spirit of justice of a group of people not so different by the majority of us. and this does Freaks a masterpiece. because it is a kind of mixture between Romeo and Juliet and Titus Andronicus. because it is a film about innocence. sure, few scenes are not comfortable but , in the time of cries, special effect and symbolic stories who are ingredients of many horrors, Freaks has a coherent and charming and powerful story. and it represents source of profound reflection. about us. like each parable .

Welcome to FREAKS. Welcome to Tod Browning's world. It is a world populated by pinheads, dwarfs, skeletal men, hermaphrodites, limbless men, and adults trapped in children's bodies. There are no special effects here. No sleight of hand. No camera tricks. No makeup. The actors and actresses portraying the sideshow attractions in this film are all real, amassed from all over the world by an obsessed director who wanted everything to be just perfect for his film. It turned out that he was mistaken: audiences weren't ready for a film this powerful at the time of realise, and it got heavily cut in America and banned in Britain for thirty years.To put it plainly, this is quite simply one of the best horror films ever made. It's essential viewing. A film which humanises the people who were subjected to such cruel deformations, and demonises the cruel, greedy "normal" folk who are about as far away from humanity as can be. I loved watching this film. Watching the pinheads dance and play, the torso man light a cigarette using only his mouth, the mirth and glee which these folks manage to express despite their unfortunate conditions. They live, damn it, and they're a role model for the rest of us folks.The plot is a simple one of revenge, which carries the whole film. We know what's coming and yet it still hooks us anyways. The acting is good; although the "normal" actors are surpassed in every way by their real-life misshapen scene-stealers. The midgets and malformities come across so flawlessly because they are not acting, merely playing themselves. The pinheads are probably the most endearing of the lot, with their enduring friendliness, I fell in love with them. The subplot involving romance between a good-natured clown and his girlfriend is touching and tender.Everybody remembers the ending of this film, which has the freaks taking revenge on the cruel strongman and his mistress. The act of revenge is only implied, but the build-up is spectacular. The sight of hate-filled victims advancing to enact their revenge is truly unforgettable and a classic moment in horror cinema, one which has been imitated many times but never equalled. The famed "wedding banquet" scene is also very good, and imitated almost exactly in THE MUTATIONS. You won't even notice the fact that nothing much really happens, as you'll be so engrossed in a world so different from ours that you'll lose all touch with reality - at least, that's what happened with me. I've said enough. Go and watch this film.