DVD Review: Freaks (1932)
Published August 18, 2004
Freaks made it's DVD debut a couple of weeks ago, after being out of print on other formats for years. I remember seeing a VHS copy of it for sale about ten years ago, I never picked it, although I wish I had. I've been wanting to see this film for a long time, but was never able to find it in rental outlets, so when I heard that a DVD was being released, I knew this was my chance to get a hold of it.
Made in 1932, the film was greeted with primarily negative reviews. It was a controversial film for its time, mainly for it's casting and portrayal of actual side-show attractions. It was so controversial that it was pulled from the theaters after it's New York engagement in the summer of 1932. Taking this a step further, it was banned in many parts of the world for over 30 years. It wasn't uncovered and brought out again until the mid 1960's for the next generation of movie lovers. I am not much of a historian, and you can learn more about the history of this film from other online sources and the excellent supplements on this disk.
Tod Browning, who had previously directed the first version of Dracula (excepting Nosferatu, of course, as it was not technically Dracula), brought a different vision to this film, which in many ways, I find to be a superior film. The story is not original, at least by today's standard, but the plot and it's treatment was unlike anything to come out of studio at the time. Browning populated the film with a large collection of so-called freaks. Included were a half-man, little people, a bearded lady, a bird man, the pin-heads, the living skeleton, the living torso, the siamese twins, the armless women, and more. Rounding out the cast are a few "normal" actors.
The setting of the film is a traveling circus, but it is from the point of view of the circus workers and attractions, we never get the side of the audience. This is for the best as I feel we get better immersed in the tale at hand without the distractions of changing the audience's view. I would fear we would start Identifying with the audience rather than the true heroes of the piece. The film tells a tale of a midget, Hans, who falls for a "normal" woman, Cleo, the trapeze artist, despite the protestations of his current girlfriend, Freida. Of course this leads to a rather unpleasant situation.
Christopher Beaumont spends much of his time writing about entertainment when he isn't sitting in a movie theater. He is known around the office as the "Movie Guy" and is always ready to talk about his favorite form of entertainment and offer up recommendations. Interests include science fiction, horror, and metal music. His writings can be found at Draven99's Musings and Draven99's Media Center. 
- DVD Review: Freaks (1932)
- Published: August 18, 2004
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- Section: Video
- Filed Under: Video: Art House, Video: Classics, Video: Drama, Video: Family, Video: Horror
- Writer: Chris Beaumont
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The Devil Doll is only fair and does not deserve half the treatment of Freaks, one of the most influential horror films of all time. Browning was a fascinating madman, as most of the great horror film directors were from this period (James Whale, Fritz Lang, FW Murnau). I believe Browning got the idea for this nightmare from his teen years working with a traveling carnival. You think HBO's Carnivale is weird, watch Freaks to get an idea where such peculiar inspirations sprung from.
Imagine David Lynch, Ed Wood and a soused Peter O'Toole mixed together in a morbid milkshake from hell to get a slight idea as to the personality of this classic flick. If memory serves (and it rarely does) wasn't the strongman castrated during the final scene? Perhaps that was cut out (pun intended)? Or maybe the scene was rewritten?
Any film that has a midget slicing the gonads off Mr. Universe is at the top of my Greatest Films of All Time list....Browning has very few films available as much of his work was silent and is long lost - but Dracula, The Devil Doll and Mark of the Vampire (a favorite of mine as it has Bela Lugosi in a comedic role before sliding down the slippery slope of drug addiction) can be found....
I'd like to see THe Unholy Three, also by Browning and also starring Harry Earles. Not sure if it is available though.
That ending you describe is apparently lost, David Skal describes it though, I would have liked to have seen that version. THe ending in the film proper is the one that was used theatrically. Plus two athers are included on the disk.
Stephen King has some great pages devoted to Freaks in his fantastic nonfiction tome Danse Macabre. It was where I first heard of the film (among many others), having read the book as a youngster in junior high.
King's work covers some great films and books of the supernatural which influenced American culture.
I lament the loss of Browning's London After Midnight, one of the first vampire films ever made (I believe Murnau's Nosferatu came out a couple of years before). It was a silent classic starring Lon Chaney, Sr. in the role of the vampire. Publicity photographs exist of Chaney's creation, including protruding teeth, wide eyes, long hair and top hat, but the film has disintegrated. It's loss was one of several major reasons why there was a movement during the 1980s to restore and preserve film. Unfortunately, most of Browning's silent work has been lost, though we will always be able to sit back and enjoy Dracula and Freaks.
Lon Chaney, Sr. - a friend of Browning - was actually set to star in Dracula, but he died, thus opening the door for the then-unknown Bela Lugosi to step into the role.
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I'm gonna be importing this later in the month, and it looks like it'll be worth it. Good job, Chris. Freaks is a brilliant film.
Hopefully they'll give Browning's The Devil Doll similar treatment.