Review of Freaks (1932) by David L — 09 Jun 2014

The Freaks - Whereas some call this film 'legend of all horror films' other have called it greatest horror film that contains the elements of suffering of a human-kind at the mercy of God almighty. But in my opinion it is an over-reaction for a movie that has not portrayed itself as a horror film; rather, more like a movie that draws attention of society toward something that is often ignored by them.

Ok. So what's horror in it (if we are to agree with the critics)?

Limbless woman drinking from a glass, is that horror?

Man without torso, and legs moving from one spot to another, is that horror?

A worm-like man without legs and arms lights his cigarette with his mouth, is that horror?

The whole movie contained sarcastic and humorous dialogues, is that how these professional critics are going to judge a film and dub it 'legend of all horror films'.

Which university/college degree do they aspire to be over-confident enough to believe that they have more intelligence than rest of university-graduates (I do not believe that a perfect film-degree is needed in order to optimize your genius approach toward the films)? Quentin Tarantino was owner of film-shop, so?

Otherwise in case of some old critics born in later couple of decade since the release of film, might feel nostalgic about watching this in their youth - but all I ask is that why to mislead the next-generation out of your own curiosity for something that is not wholly 'horror' film?

I loved this movie (but not as a horror film - which it is not actually and I'd like to sit with those who wanna debate it with me). I like this film because it has brought a story about those characters that we disregard having seen them in our circus-tour by buying the ticket and freaking out for few minutes and forget that.

Freaks is about freakish people in the circus (although live-in circus is not shown - we are rather shown the behind-the-curtain life of these characters). Mostly they are friendly toward everybody, chilling out every bit of the time they'd had. Making fun of others, and feeling concerned about other peoples' worries.

They're polite and humble up until you act like the same way toward them. But what happens if you devise a plan to kill one of them and get away with the saved-treasure? Moreover that perpetrator of crime happens to be one of the human-beings working alongside with them? Yes, of course they'd keep their inner-quality aside and adopt what they carry in their external body, to take revenge.

The myth here is that, most of the time human-being act in the way that could've possibly been expected of those freaks.

There is popular so-called proverb in the Sindh province of Pakistan among the youths, it says, "In the today's world of high-class wardrobe worn by all-that, it has become quite IMPOSSIBLE to DISTINGUISH between a GENTLEMAN and a PIMP".

Same (rightfully) goes for the body-perfect humans in 'Freaks' who try to be exceptional from those freaks (they call), and yet in fact they are the ones acting more like it.

Fast-paced film, does not bore you, in fact you enjoy their sarcastic lines, feel pity for what they have to suffer. But please, please I humbly request you not to call this 'horror'! By calling this 'horror film' the critics have become those who do not realize the friendly and amicable environment these freakish characters enjoy in the film--- until some of people try to actually 'MURDER' one of them. If still they press about calling it 'horror' then I believe they did not understand the message of director 'Tod'.