Is Freaks exploitation or art? I consider it as art or an interesting tale of love, relationships, and revenge. But I do not believe that by putting sideshow freaks as the avengers of their betrayal and abuse that Tod Browning was exploiting them or making them look hideous and evil. Yes, that may be the interpretation. But I think that Browning was presenting the actors as surpassing others and establishing some dignity and respect for people who are usually dismissed as worthless and incompetent. Freaks has been generally called a horror film but I would rather think of it as a drama with elements of infidelity, revenge, and murder. Does Freaks have to be a horror film just because it stars sideshow freaks? Definitely not!
There has always been a fascination with the unusual. Several magazine and websites feature people with deformities and people who do bizarre acts. But lately these mediums have been blending violence and sex with deformities; therefore, warping the original intention of these magazines and sites. This intermixing is historically not a recent idea. People have always made the Unusual synonymous with the Macabre. In one way this idea is similar with blending rock music with sex, as in the 1950's. By judging the unusual with the macabre from this standpoint is how people judged the film Freaks: as a horror movie.
Freaks was banned for several years and was highly edited by distributors. In the 60's William Burroughs and Antony Balch were on of the first people to reshow Freaks in theaters. Freaks was shown in Europe alongside two of Burroughs/Balch pictures. However, it took a while for America to catch on but now here it is finally on DVD.
It is interesting why films get banned for certain reasons and why people want to suppress them from viewers. Freaks was looked at in this way but now is considered tame by most moviegoers. For those who are interested in sideshow freaks (if you would call them that) and their history check out Being Different and Freaks Uncensored. Both films bring up my same argument and go in-depth about their abuse and finally their acceptance by the majority.
There has always been a fascination with the unusual. Several magazine and websites feature people with deformities and people who do bizarre acts. But lately these mediums have been blending violence and sex with deformities; therefore, warping the original intention of these magazines and sites. This intermixing is historically not a recent idea. People have always made the Unusual synonymous with the Macabre. In one way this idea is similar with blending rock music with sex, as in the 1950's. By judging the unusual with the macabre from this standpoint is how people judged the film Freaks: as a horror movie.
Freaks was banned for several years and was highly edited by distributors. In the 60's William Burroughs and Antony Balch were on of the first people to reshow Freaks in theaters. Freaks was shown in Europe alongside two of Burroughs/Balch pictures. However, it took a while for America to catch on but now here it is finally on DVD.
It is interesting why films get banned for certain reasons and why people want to suppress them from viewers. Freaks was looked at in this way but now is considered tame by most moviegoers. For those who are interested in sideshow freaks (if you would call them that) and their history check out Being Different and Freaks Uncensored. Both films bring up my same argument and go in-depth about their abuse and finally their acceptance by the majority.