Directed,written and produced by: Tod Browning
Release date: 1932
Running time: 62 mins
DVD Released by: Wanner Brothers
Freaks was banned for 30 years after it firstly released, by now it is still banned in Sweden, Finland and Ireland. I think this is reason why most people wanna watch such classical movie in the 21 century. At first, I'd like to talk about some stories about actors behind it. " Freaks " in film are all original people from our real world, they are unfortunate people to be born with different conditions or deformities. Majority of these special people had acting experience before, therefore they did play well in it. I think this movie just showed what are their lives in real world.
The central story is of a self-serving trapeze artist named Cleopatra (Olga Baclanova), who seduces and eventually marries a sideshow midget, Hans (Harry Earles), after learning of his large inheritance. At their wedding reception, the other "freaks" resolve that they will accept Cleopatra in spite of her being a "normal" outsider, and hold an initiation ceremony, where in they pass a massive goblet of wine around the
table while chanting, "We accept her! We accept her! One of us! One of us! Gooble-goble, gooble-goble!" The ceremony frightens the drunken Cleopatra, who accidentally reveals that she has been having an affair with Hercules (Henry Victor), the strong man; she mocks the freaks, tosses the wine in their faces, and drives them away. Despite being humiliated, Hans remains with Cleopatra.
Shortly thereafter, Hans is taken ill. Cleopatra has poisoned his wine at the wedding, and continues slipping poison into Hans' medicine so that she can inherit his money and run away with Hercules. Venus (Leila Hyams), another circus performer, overhears Cleopatra and Hercules discussing the murder plot and tells Hans and the other freaks. In the film's climax, the freaks attack Cleopatra and Hercules with guns, knives, and various sharp-edged weapons, hideously mutilating them during a bad storm. Though Hercules is never seen again, the original ending of the film had the freaks castrating him; the audience sees him later singing in falsetto. The film concludes with a revelation of Cleopatra's fate; she has become a grotesque, squawking "human duck". The flesh of her hands has been melted and deformed to look like duck feet and her lower half has been permanently tarred and feathered.(from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freaks)
The shooting and editing is out of date, but the story is cruel enough to make you remember it. Who are real freaks? I believe that everyone had some times when we felt like freaks. Think back to you school time, and I am pretty sure that we have done some worst thing like killing cute animal, eat strange food and so on, but we never think about we are real freaks, that is why?
It is because of good appearance and condition. It's because of we are the same. It's because of thousands of excuses that we came up with, like someone pissed me off, breaking up with gf or bf, and suffering too much pressure. Furthermore, in most of religion original human nature is relativity to greedy, violence and hypocrisy. I think human nature sucks forever, no matter how long we try to keep good, so the only thing we have to keep is rationally thinking, and remind us of not sinking low.
Don't be afraid of freaks, who they just had dinner with you, worked with you, and kissed you.
