Freaks

Freaks (1932)

In a traveling circus where sideshow freaks are a one of the biggest attractions, a trapeze artist named Cleopatara uses her feminine whiles to seduce a wealthy midget named Hans. She gets him to marry her and begins to poison him, all the while carrying on a secret love affair with her co-conspirator, the circus strongman Hercules. Eventually their plot is uncovered by the close knit freaks and punishment is exacted with horrifying efficiency.

The plot is fine and the acting is ok, but what makes this movie really great are the freaks themselves. It shows them doing everyday things in spite of their deformities and portrays them as being much more trustworthy and honorable than the "normal" people they interact with. The freaks have a strong sense of loyalty to one another and a real sense of family. One of the best scenes is where they are accepting Cleopatara into the family at her and Hans' wedding reception. They are all gathered together at a long table sharing food and drink and begin a chant, "We accept her! We accept her! One of us! One of us! Gooble gobble, gooble gobble! One of us! One of us!" and so on. She can't accept them however and this is where she starts to get into real trouble. Eventually a darker side of this freakish family is revealed when Cleopatara's crimes are uncovered and she really is made one of them.

One of the best things about this movie is that there aren't very many special effects. Most of the actors and acresses in the movie are real sideshow freaks which gives this movie a whole new level of creepy coolness. Most of the violence in the movie is done off camera and only the horrific results are seen briefly on film. Do not mistake the crappy 2007 remake "Freakshow" for this movie, it's only redeeming feature is showing how well done the original was and how much worse it could have been.

3 1/2 out of 4

Reviewed by Scott Schwarzwalder