In 1932, Tod Browning released, "Freaks," acclaimed one of the most controversial horror movies around those times. "The film features a cast of actual sideshow freaks, human-beings of every conceivable physical aberration. Yet the film soon reveals that the normal members of the traveling carnival are the true monsters." (Marshall Fine).
I believe that Tod Browning was not aiming to make fun of, or put down these people with deformities. He was actually considered a freak himself. I think his plan with this film was to help others understand how these people and himself were look upon in society.
In this movie the camera angles used are amazingly important. When the midgets were being shown in the beginning of this movie Browning had these scenes shot from above. The camera is never directly looking at these oddities. This shows that he felt like the "beautiful people" in society looked down upon people like this. People who were disfigured were not respected among the normal population, hence the name "side-show freaks.".
Towards the end of this film he changes the angles on the camera and starts to look at the midgets at eye level. This is his way of showing these people as equals among others. And in the end it is the strong and pretty people who are punished for being the "monsters.".
I believe that this movie was so controversial to society because it was a true look on how the normal people view these freaks. That is why I feel that Tod Browning's plan was to portray how society views these people really was by using actual deformed people. I don't believe he had any intentions other than to help people like himself receive a little respect from others and be seen as an equal.
Is everybody ready for the Freak Show! ... This is the kind of humor that you can come to love when see the Freak Show. ... The Freak Show would be best described as "Saturday Night Live on crack", it is wacky, crazy, and you won't stop laughing until you have left the place. ...
FREAK By Lukas Kuhlman Many times have I been called a freak and never knew what it really meant. ... It may cause the person to "freak out." ... The jails and sanitariums are full of freaks. ... These are the ones that we call freaks. ... These, my friends, are the real freaks....
When I use the term "freak" I don't mean it in any demeaning manner. ... Hebdige examines punk culture, but his theory also illuminates freak culture, since punk is a realm of freak culture. ... The style of a freak is just an image used to get an effect. ... Freak style is chosen. ... Freaks follow these subculture ideologies. ...
The Freaks at Spurgin Road Field "Feelings are not supposed to be logical. ... For example, in Richard Hugo's poem, "The Freaks at Spurgin Road Field", the speaker is at a baseball game, and the word handicapped is mentioned. ... "The Freaks at Spurgin Road Field" uses symbolism throughout the entire poem. ... The theme of the poem, "The Freaks at Spurgin Road Field," is that people tend to make decisions based on the standards set by society, instead of using their own minds. ...
In this essay, we are going to see some aspects about the curious life of this enterprising man and his museum of freaks and describe the important impact of his figure on posterity. ... During the days of Barnum's American Museum various types of freaks were commonly exhibited: tribal people (unknown races), and lusus naturae (people born with demonstrable differences), born freaks or people born with physical abnormalities like Siamese twins, and made freaks or people who do something to make themselves unusual like covering their bodies in tattoos and the novelty act which involved a...
Freak is a 1998 film directed by Spike Lee. ... Freak was semi-autobiographical as he would talk about many aspects of his life. ... Besides family abuse, I believe that the main theme of Freak is acceptance. ... John's father serves as the stereotypical Latino model in "Freak". ...
There was also a sign that said FREAKS on the side of a caravan. ... Madam lulu told them that they are freaks in the carnival now and she showed them their way to where they would sleep and live while they were working here with their fellow freaks. One day at the end of the freak show count Olaf said to the crowd that one of the freaks would be thrown into the lion pit tomorrow! ... He didn't feed them so they would be more hungry when he throws a freak in the lions will be more hungry and tired of eating nothing that they will gobble the freak up whole. ... After Esme left the all ...
One type of superstitious person is what I call "The Magical Freak" one who believes that everything is magic. ... The most rare of all superstitious people are "The Physical Freaks," this people are infatuated with science and reasoning. This people are the total opposite of the "Magical Freaks." ... His world may seem much less interesting than those worlds full of spirits, influences, and mysterious physic powers, but to him the physical causes of things are every bit as interesting as the "Powers Beyond" are to the "Magical Freaks." ... The Magical Freak drives down the expressway prot...
I think Freaks is an example of experiencing all of the things that we fear with a little bit of comedy added to make the movie bearable to watch. ... I really liked the movie even though it was creepy as hell to see that many real life freaks in one movie, but I guess it fits the title very well. ... I think the fear factor that we get from watching the movie and real life freaks is that since they don't look normal we think that they might be demented. I really liked that lady that was trying to kill the midget and take his money turned into a freak herself at the end both spirituall...
