Controversial. Disturbing. Horrifying. Offensive. Insensitive.
These are words that have been used to describe Tod Browning's "Freaks". I'd like to hereby add a few descriptive terms to that list...
Misunderstood. Mislabled. Misinterpreted. Underappreciated.

First, a bit of background. Tod Browning was one hell of an interesting fellow. A bit odd, maybe, but quite interesting, and undeniably talented. Like one of his counterparts, James Whale, Browning was a master of off-kilter, disturbing, gothic cinema. Or, as I like to say, Tod Browning was like Ed Wood if poor Eddy had been blessed with some real talent to back up his undeniable enthusiasm for off-kilter, disturbing, gothic cinema. Browning, for those of you not "in the know", was the auteur of not only one of cinema's most enduring films, but by proxy the originator of some of the Horror Genre's most important and enduring sets of images. I'm speaking, of course, of Dracula (as perfectly played by Bela Lugosi...in the role that would both make and destroy his career, and ultimately, his life). Browning was a guy who, due in no small part to his years as a carnival pitch-man (or "barker", if you will), had quite a unique perspective on what people found repulsive, frightening, and generally disturbing. This was a man who worked, much earlier in his "show business" career, with real Freaks.

The plot is exquisite in its simplicity...almost fairy-tale-like...
Little person Hans is in love with the exotic and mysteriously beautiful Cleopatra, the circus' bareback rider. Cleopatra, it seems, has found out that Hans has ferreted away a vast sum of money in savings, and she wants to get her hands on it. So, along with Hercules, the strong-man, they hatch a plot whereby Cleopatra would poison poor little Hans so that she and Herc can make off with the loot. As seems to be the case in all such doomed love stories, those closest to Hans (the rest of the sideshow freaks) see that something's not quite right from the very beginning, and Hans refuses to believe them. Despite their skepticism and protestations, he falls hook, line, and sinker for Cleopatra's wily charms. Soon, he is gravely ill, and his compatriots decide it's time to take matters into their own hands. What follows is one of the most surreal and horrifying acts of revenge ever hinted at in the annals of film. While it might be a bit tame in execution, audiences of the day were absolutely flummoxed and shocked, enough so that the film was summarily banned. Like "Dracula" did with the vampire genre, "Freaks" did with the revenge yarn, and that to stunning success.

"Freaks" would not have worked at all if not for one simple fact: its de facto "starring cast" is made up almost entirely of real, honest-to- goodness human oddities. In fact, it's a veritable who's-who of popular sideshow acts of the time. From the gentle Schlitzie the "Pinhead", to Daisy and Violet Hilton (the famous "Siamese" or conjoined twins who enjoyed quite a lucrative career in their own right), to Johnny Eck the "Half Boy", to Randion the "Living Torso", they're all here. Most people of the day had never before seen such human oddities in such breathtaking detail, and it scared the living fuck out of them. Rumor has it that on at least one occasion, a woman went literally nuts in the theater and went bounding up the aisle, screaming and ripping her hair out! I don't know if that's true, but I can see how this film could have had that kind of effect on audiences of the day.

"Freaks" has been accused, as mentioned before, of being exploitative of the freaks themselves. Personally, I think this totally baseless. The film portrays the freaks as being far more "normal" and "human" than really any of the "normal" people who inhabit that particular film-world. In any event, they are certainly more sympathetic and "normal" than Hercules and Cleopatra, who are quite rightly portrayed as the real monsters. In fact, the film's harshest critics seem to have missed this point all together, instead becoming guilty of exactly what they accused the film of doing: pandering to the freaks and looking down on them as "poor, defenseless creatures". The reality of the situation is that, with one notable exception, the "oddity" cast of "Freaks" lived to be quite proud of their involvement in the film. They all really loved Tod Browning (who was always a bit of an outsider himself). In any event, none of the cast ever had anything but good things to say about what the film represented and what, in many cases, it did for their livelihoods.

Now, you may ask, "what is 'Freaks' doing on an 'extreme horror' website?" Well, it's simple. "Freaks" stands as one of the most terrifying, disturbingly "realistic", and harrowing horror films of all time. It works on so many levels, and fails on practically none. It causes, in short, sweaty, fevered nightmares (at least for most people). It is the rarity among horror films that succeeds in the attempt at making us point the accusing, shaking finger right back at ourselves. We are the monsters. It's a stance that was "argued" in many films much later, most notably in the "Cannibal" films of the 1970's...when driven to extremes, what would a generally peace-loving, calm people do to protect their own kind?

Warner Home Video has given us all a mighty treat in this, the first ever DVD release of "Freaks". The 1.33:1 print, as can be expected for a film of this age (and considering that most prints of the film sat on shelves, rotting away the years), shows considerable wear. Yet, it's nothing distracting. This is probably the best this film will ever look or sound. It's just such a pleasure to see it again that I can't help being a bit more forgiving about the print and sound quality. The real meat of the DVD, of course, comes from the extra features. In this case, we're talking about a bang-up documentary that will, quite literally, change the way anyone thinks about not only this film, but also the subject of sideshows. Add to that a wonderful commentary track by film historian and Browning expert David Skal, and you're talking about a highly educational, entertaining, and terrifying package. This one should be required viewing in high schools across the world, because the statements made about how we treat those different than us are more powerful than anything since put to film.