Freaks (12A.)
1932. Directed by Todd Browning.
Starring Harry Earles, Olga Baclanova, Daisy Earles, Wallace Ford, Leila Hyams and Henry Victor. Black and White. 64 mins
It is often the case that the cast is the making of the film, turning something mundane and ordinary into something special. That has never been more the case than in Freaks, the notorious backstage tale of life in a travelling circus/ sideshow, where various differently-abled performers were cast in the supporting roles.
Freaks was originally conceived as a horror flick but like most horrors from that era there is precious little scary about it now. The story concerns a dwarf (Earles) who falls in love with the beautiful but quite blatnatly evil trapeze artist Cleopatra (Baclanova) who wants to take him for all his money. Only in the final third does it get in any way creepy with the “One of us” scene
Freaks had been banned, censored and widely reviled for the first thirty years of its existence until the sixties counter culture rediscovered it and turned a horror film into a celebration of diversity and tolerance. Tolerance is a virtue that you may find being tested because outside of its novelty it isn't particularly good. Browning was the director of the Bela Lugosi Dracula and various Lon Chaney vehicles, but the staging of most of the scenes, particularly in the first half is straightforward and drab. The Talkies were still in their infancy in '32 and a lot of the dialogue is poorly recorded and hard to hear; or poorly delivered. As a lot of the performers are acting on screen for the first time that is to be expected, but it is main cast who are the biggest culprit. In general, the “Freaks” are by far the most natural and compelling performers, they make the film worth watching. I don't think anybody could argue that they aren't all presented compassionately and sympathetically in the film and that the message of the film is a call for acceptance. The film though is still basically a freak show, a chance to gawp at a cinematic oddity.
Freaks (12A.)
1932. Directed by Todd Browning.
Starring Harry Earles, Olga Baclanova, Daisy Earles, Wallace Ford, Leila Hyams and Henry Victor. Black and White. 64 mins
It is often the case that the cast is the making of the film, turning something mundane and ordinary into something special. That has never been more the case than in Freaks, the notorious backstage tale of life in a travelling circus/ sideshow, where various differently-abled performers were cast in the supporting roles.
Freaks was originally conceived as a horror flick but like most horrors from that era there is precious little scary about it now. The story concerns a dwarf (Earles) who falls in love with the beautiful but quite blatnatly evil trapeze artist Cleopatra (Baclanova) who wants to take him for all his money. Only in the final third does it get in any way creepy with the “One of us” scene
Freaks had been banned, censored and widely reviled for the first thirty years of its existence until the sixties counter culture rediscovered it and turned a horror film into a celebration of diversity and tolerance. Tolerance is a virtue that you may find being tested because outside of its novelty it isn't particularly good. Browning was the director of the Bela Lugosi Dracula and various Lon Chaney vehicles, but the staging of most of the scenes, particularly in the first half is straightforward and drab. The Talkies were still in their infancy in '32 and a lot of the dialogue is poorly recorded and hard to hear; or poorly delivered. As a lot of the performers are acting on screen for the first time that is to be expected, but it is main cast who are the biggest culprit. In general, the “Freaks” are by far the most natural and compelling performers, they make the film worth watching. I don't think anybody could argue that they aren't all presented compassionately and sympathetically in the film and that the message of the film is a call for acceptance. The film though is still basically a freak show, a chance to gawp at a cinematic oddity.
