Review of Freaks (1932) by Kevin R — 21 Oct 2011
Children? They're monsters!
A struggling trapeze performer discovers the leader of the circus freak show has obtained a significant inheritance. She agrees to marry him only for his money while secretly laughing behind his back. The circus freaks may not take too kindly to the way the trapeze artist treats their boss.
"They're always tramps; aren't they, unless you can get money from them.".
Tod Browning, director of Dracula, Mark of the Vampire, Iron Man, Where East is East, The Mystic, West of Zanzibar, and White Tiger, delivers Freaks. The storyline for this picture is okay but not as intricate as I had hoped. The freaks subplot was excellent but the primary storyline is a bit bland and ends anticlimactically. The cast is brilliant and contains the real deal in circus entertainers.
"When I want a cigar I smoke a cigar. I want no orders from a woman.".
Freaks is a movie my wife came across on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) while flicking through the channels the other night. We decided to give it a go based on the genre and holiday season. I did find this film fun, entertaining, and definitely worth following; however, I never found it intense or overly dramatic. While the premise was interesting, it wasn't a classic like Browning's Dracula with Bela Lugosi. This is definitely worth viewing once but may not be as good as you hope.
"Here's something for your eye!".
Grade: C+.
This review of Freaks (1932) was written by Kevin R on 21 Oct 2011.
Freaks has generally received very positive reviews.
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