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Steve-Calvert.co.uk
A Passion For Horror
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Freaks (1932)(a.k.a The Monster Show)
Produced and Directed by Tod Browning
Freaks is a 1932 horror film set in a circus. The story is based on Spurs (written by Tod Robbins) and focuses on the lives of the 'freaks' who perform in the sideshow acts. Tod Browning produced and directed the film. In his earlier years he had been a member of a travelling circus, and so Browning had a wealth of personal experience and knowledge to draw on when making the film. Browning chose to cast people with real deformities in the roles of the 'freaks' as opposed to using clever costumes and makeup, and his decision to do so ended what had been a very promising career. People who watched the film were just not comfortable with the knowledge that the stars of the film were exactly what they seemed. In fact Freaks was actually banned here in the UK for about 30 years. I have watched Freaks several times and consider it to be a true, if perhaps misunderstood, masterpiece. The story is great, all of the cast act out there respective roles perfectly, and Browning's decision to use people with real deformities to portray his freaks gives the film a ring of truth to it that fake freaks could never have achieved. But is it a horror film? Some people would say so. Others would not. The film does have enough elements of fear in it for me to class it as a horror film, but it is not just a horror film. Freaks forces the viewer to take a closer look at human nature and also at themselves. And sometimes the words 'monster' and 'freak' are more telling of what a person is like inside than how they look on the outside. The main character in the story is a midget named Hans. Hans is nice little guy. He is very intelligent and quite tough too. At times, in fact, he reminds me of a miniature version of James Cagney because the tough guy attitude is similar when he is riled. Hans is engaged to fellow midget, Frieda, and they make a lovely couple. Unfortunately the little guy's head has been turned by the beautiful, high-flying trapeze artist Cleopatra. He says that she is "The most beautiful big-woman I have ever seen." Cleopatra is more than happy to accept Han's attention and finds it all quite the joke. She is also equally happy to accept money and gifts from the enamoured little guy. When Frieda lets slip to Cleopatra the fact that Hans has inherited quite a lot of money Cleopatra decides that wedding bells are in order and marries him, planning all the while to murder her new husband with the help of her lover, Hercules the strong-man. In fact she gets her plans off to an early start at the wedding feast and slips some poison into Hans' drink. Needless to say, Hans is soon laid up in his sickbed, but the other freaks are well aware of what is going on and they believe in sticking together and taking care of their own. Hans might be bed-bound but he wises up pretty quickly to what Cleopatra is really like and he and his fellow freaks make some plans of their own. Freaks is a great film and I think that everyone should see it at least once. It isn't often that words 'charming' and 'horror film' can go together, but in this case I think that they can.
CAST Wallace Ford ...
Phroso
DVD DETAILS Runtime: 64 minutes Aspect ratio: 1.37:1 Filmed in black and white Soundtrack: mono
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