Freaks

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Classic Horror Special

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If you can believe it, there was a movie that came along in 1932 that was considered, at it's original run-time, "too shocking". The original version cannot be found, and the abridged version is cut to a mere 64 minutes. So this one's a quick watch, and still a bit disturbing in its own right.​

Any of the actors and actresses in this who played the "freaks" in question, were real performers with real physical disabilities that they could offer to the silver screen without any need for makeup or special effects. It also helps us see them as real people, which is absolutely necessary for this story to work.

In the spirit of not judging a book by its cover, we see very clearly that this is a group of fun-loving people. We side with them pretty much immediately, just as about as immediately as we realize that they're largely the target of mockery from some of the "regular" folk. It doesn't hide who the villains are here in some sort of twist, they're very much right in front of our eyes, and the villains here are, really, just a couple of total jerks.

The film starts off with a mystery as to what an audience is seeing within the confines of a box we're not allowed to see. The rest of the story is a history as to how this thing they're all looking at got to be the way it is. The rest of the plot centers on Hans (Harry Earles - who you'd see later in 'The Wizard of Oz' as a member of the Lollipop Guild), a little person who has inherited a vast fortune. He has eyes for a trapeze artist named Cleopatra (Olga Baclanova), who's otherwise involved with the strong man, Hercules (Henry Victor). The couple, namely her, continuously treat Hans as a doormat, due to his affection for Cleo. Hans' sideshow friends are the only ones who really see it, though, and it's a harsh lesson in love that we can be absolutely blind to it.

Once it slips that Hans inherited his fortune, Cleo plans to marry him so that she can get her hands on whatever she can, and Hercules even helps out. But, upon realizing that all Cleo's doing is hurting Hans and making him feel ashamed of himself, the "freaks" take things into their own hands, and, well, we eventually get to see what's in that mystery box, and though it's pretty comical by today's standards, for 1932, it's a damn creepy image. If you ever Google images for 'Freaks', you will stumble on it and likely recognize it immediately, even with no further knowledge of the film.

This is actually my second time around with this film as well. The first time, I really wasn't a fan. It felt dated, goofy, and above all, very mean-spirited. Even though we're supposed to feel for Hans, he DOES ditch his current... fiancee?... Frieda (Daisy Earles) in pursuit of Cleo, and Frieda is left heartbroken, even though she says all she wants is his happiness. If you truly feel for anyone in this, it's gonna be Frieda.

The only thing about this movie that I really wanna know about any further are those missing 30 minutes. "Too shocking" in 1932 is probably pretty tame by today's standards, since the genre has come pretty damn far. It's that thing that lingers behind a dark curtain somewhere out there that you just wanna take a peek at, like the original 'Star Wars' trilogy.

By the end of this second watch-through, my mind was nudged in the direction of respect for the film, but it's still just so mean-spirited that it's an uncomfortable watch for someone like me, who himself was taunted in such ways - except no one was after my money. The "freaks" get their vengeance in the end, and it's a pretty creepy scene, but for some reason it just doesn't stick with me here as much as something like Jason Voorhees' vengeance does. And that's messed up, 'cause it makes a lot more sense here. Anyway, still worth checking out for any classic horror fan just to say that you've seen one of the more controversial classics. You might get more from it than I did, it certainly has that potential.

3/5

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