| Overall Grade: |
A+ |
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| Story: |
A |
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| Acting: |
A+ |
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| Direction: |
A+ |
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| Visuals: |
A+ |
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Nature's Mistakes!
by Rye. (movies profile)
Sep 9, 2007
Grotesque horror motion picture set in a traveling circus as based on the short story ‘Spurs’ by Tod Robbins. The heinously wicked plot focuses on a beautiful aerialist Cleopatra [Olga Baclanova], who concorts a plan with her boyfriend, the strongman Hercules [Henry Victor]. Cleopatra acknowledges an inheritance to the midget Hans [Harry Earles], so she sets her greedy sights onto the wealthy claim. Cleopatra skillfully seduces Hans and convinces him to marry her, much to the dismay of his girlfriend Frieda [Daisy Earles]. Aided by her boyfriend, she then proceeds in orchestrating her plan with greater effect, as she trys to kill her husband with poison. Watching her every step, the other circus performers help Hans out of an incomparable situation, as they enact there own version of gruesome revenge. Meticulously delivered with precise character examination, director Tod Browning [Dracula -1931] renders his finest work thus far in an illustrious career that illustrates the horror genre. Browning endorses the storylines main theme by situating the circus performers as humane individuals and vigorously lamenting the normal typed people as hated freaks. All performances are pitched perfect, as the actors enhance the crafted script with surged excellence. Merritt B. Gerstad [London After Midnight -1927] attributes to a darkly compose cinematography that contributes the main core of the films structure, as it welcomes the audience with nerve deafening fright The movie would ultimately be regarded a disaster when released, as it was stripped from showing in theaters after a short stay in the United States and crudely banned from England, because of it’s controversial content and tabooed understanding of the then time. Holding personal acclaim to the production is director Tod Browning, who as a young man ran away from home to join a circus in the 1890’s. Freaks was Honored at the Venice Film Festival [1962] and Selected for Registry by the National Film Preservation Board [1994]. |
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