11 March, 2007

freaks (1932)




Peter Bradshaw
Friday September 27, 2002
The Guardian


Beyond bad taste, beyond political correctness,
Tod Browning's long-banned macabre classic


Freaks uses authentic circus performers and unapologetically exploits their real genetic malformations in a melodramatic masterpiece of black comic horror. A scheming trapeze artist marries a circus midget (NOT a dwarf) for his money; his fellow performers welcome her as an honorary "freak" and their chanting ritual - gabba gabba, one of us! - left me gasping. When they find out the perfidious truth, they attack.
What cultural references are there for this? Poe? David Lynch? Antonin Artaud? Diane Arbus? Maybe. Freaks is filled with poignancy; it offers a premonition of eugenics, as well as a provocative comparison with the alienated condition of women and the freakish nature of all showbiz celebrity. It is a work of genius.


** think bradshaw might have got carried away a bit, banging on about "alienated condition of women" and "freakish nature of all showbiz celebrity" and what not. but this weekend's viewing of freaks was quite the treat. not least for pointers on how to light a cigarette with no hands, or feet.

4 comments:

albeo said...

Tots and I have just seen the worst movie of all times. See blog...

Becky Flash said...

Well, while you're at it, Bradshaw also has his facts wrong - something made in 1932 could hardly be considered a "premonition" of eugenics.

bogart said...

Surely you haven't run out of movies to watch that you are reduced to this. Or have you? Le duc le duc, please ship in some material otherwise we don't know what can happen next.

Anonymous said...

erm i am confident le duc approves this choice to the fullest.


humph