Review on Freaks

Review on Freaks (1932)

Freaks

This film was to be a part of the horror genre of the 30s, which its director; Tod Browning wanted to create the ultimate horror film, described by Jamie Russell in a review on BBC.co.uk. 'Originally released in 1932 to cash in on the horror boom of the 30s, "Freaks" has always been something of a hot potato. Director Tod Browning, who'd scored a huge hit with the original "Dracula" in 1930, promised MGM the ultimate scary movie. But the resulting picture surprised everyone: "I asked for something horrifying," said the studio's shocked head of production, "and I got it.' (Russell, 2002) After the shock of this film the studio decided to ban it  until 1960 when the ban was lifted and was allowed to be shown to the public. Kim Newman explains from Empireonline.com. 'The studio was so horrified that it sold the picture off to grindhouse distributors who appropriately toured it around sleazy tent shows under the title Nature's Mistakes. However, it was revived in the 1960s - when, incidentally, British Censors rescinded their ban on it. In an era when the word 'freak' had a more positive meaning, it became recognised as a one-of-a-kind bizarro masterpiece.' (Newman, 2011) 

Hans and Frieda

Despite its title, Freaks seems to be aimed at the cruel acts of the physically normal people than opposed to its disabled and limbless people, as mentioned by Cole Smithey in a review. 'Freaks takes every opportunity to humanize its characters. The story presents its group of human oddities - a hermaphrodite, several microcephalics, conjoined twins, and several limbless characters - as performers whose real-life existence was hardly if ever addressed to the media. The real horrors in the story come at the hands of the "normal" people who attempt to take advantage of an oppressed group of people, who live by their own strict ethical code of conduct.' (Smithey, 2011) 

Punished and turned into a Mutant Chicken Lady

Rating;

List of Illustrations

Figure 1. Brownings, Tod (1932) Freaks [Poster] At: http://www.black-and-white-movies.com/freaks.html (Accessed on: 11.12.11)

Figure 2. Brownings, Tod (1932) Hans and Frieda [Screen cap] At: http://s11.allstarpics.net/images/orig/b/m/bm7wbsrusu5lrss7.jpg (Accessed on: 11.12.11)

Figure 3. Brownings, Tod (1932) Punished and turned into a Mutant Chicken Lady [Screen cap] At: http://www.x-entertainment.com/messages/457.html (Accessed on: 11.12.11)

Bibliography

Newman, Kim (2011) Freaks http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=132536 (Accessed on: 11.12.11)

Russell, Jamie (2002) Freaks http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2002/09/11/freaks_1932_review.shtml (Accessed on: 11.12.11)

Smithey, Cole (2011) Freaks - Classic Film Pick http://www.colesmithey.com/capsules/2011/12/freaks.html (Accessed on: 11.12.11)