Review of Freaks (1932) by Brad G — 08 Oct 2009
The film is more sad than it is scary. I felt crushed watching Hans, the wealthy circus dwarf, pine and lust over the conniving trapeze artist Cleopatra. Blinded by her beauty he cannot see the murderous intentions hidden behind her â??Oh Darlingâ??s.
Thankfully, his community of Freaks (real life performers like Johnny Eck the Half Boy, Prince Randion the Living Torso, Francis Oâ??Connor the Armless Girl, and Zip & Pip that have to be seen to believed) see the deceit and eventually strike with vengeance.
The crawling terror in the rain is really the filmâ??s only scary sequence. And there is great satisfaction in the end with that final carnival show reveal. Filmed in 1932, just one year after he directed Dracula, Tod Browningâ??s Freaks practically destroyed his career but I would argue that itâ??s the superior film.
Itâ??s not just about the sick kitsch factor of â??Real Live Freaks!â?? Itâ??s beautifully shot and the performance of Harry Earlesâ??s Hans is heartbreaking. VF.
This review of Freaks (1932) was written by Brad G on 08 Oct 2009.
Freaks has generally received very positive reviews.
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