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Freaks  Hot
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Written by Dave Anderson   
Saturday, 22 January 2005


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Freaks

Grade

Content Grade: A
Sound Grade: C+
Extras Grade: A+
Picture Grade: A

Specs

Warner Home Video Halloween Havoc Standard Fullscreen (Original Aspect Ratio) English Mono English, French & Spanish Subtitles 62 min., B&W, 1932 Not Rated

Review

Freaks is one of the most controversial movies ever made. It horrified moviegoers and critics alike, was banned in some countries well into the sixties, shelved by it's studio (MGM) for decades, and helped ruin director Tod Browning's career. Today, Freaks is widely regarded as a masterpiece, and from a historical perspective, one of the most important films of the 1930s. Warner Home Video has put together an absolutely great disc for it's DVD release, which should be included in every serious film fan's collection.
Cleo (Olga Baclanova) is a selfish, abusive and conniving trapeze artist in a traveling circus, which is also home to a variety of freakish sideshow performers. She plots with her lover to marry and poison Hans (Harry Earles), a lovesick midget, in order to get his money. When Hans and his fellow misfits discover her intentions, they hatch a plan of hideous poetic justice. What made the film so shocking in the thirties was Browning's casting of real circus freaks. Browning has often been accused of exploiting them for the sake of entertainment (which may not be entirely unwarranted), but Freaks looks beyond their abnormalities and presents them as real and intelligent people, all of whom display more heart and humanity than most of the "normal" characters. Dracula may be Browning's most famous film, but Freaks is arguably his best film, perhaps due to his obvious empathy toward the subjects of his film, or maybe his morbid fascination with them. Or both. The film may not have the ability to shock audiences like it once did, but the dark and eerie climax is still fairly unnerving.

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Picture and Sound

For a 72 year old film, the picture is a lot better than I expected it to be. It's fairly free of artifacts and grain. The soundtrack hasn't aged as well, though. Rendered in English mono, the dialogue sounds muffled and a bit distorted, and there's a faint hiss throughout the film.

Extras

The story behind Freaks is as interesting as the film itself, and this disc includes some great extras containing a wealth of information. The best feature is the 60 minute documentary, " Freaks : Sideshow Cinema," which chronicles the making of (and reaction to) the film, Tod Browning's vaudeville background, and profiles all the real-life freaks who starred in the film. David J. Skal, who wrote a book about the career of Tod Browning, provides an interesting full-length audio commentary. Also included are 3 alternate endings, as well as an odd prologue add to the film when it was reissued. Similar Films: If you can find another movie like this, then you da man.

Summary

While Freaks has its admittedly disturbing moments, it would unfair to call it a horror film, though that's what it's often classified as. It's a terrific tale of revenge, but a also love story of sorts, as well as a plea to look beyond appearances.

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