Freaks

This was so ahead of its time This film was extremely controversial when it came out, and was banned in several countries for being “disturbing” and "grotesque.” But this movie is brilliant, and it’s a shame Tod Browning was basically blacklisted after creating it. This movie humanized people who performed in freak shows, and showed audiences that they aren’t just freaks to be laughed at, they’re real people. I believe it disturbed audiences because often times people with disabilities were exploited and used for entertainment. So when they watched this film, it made them uncomfortable because it made them question what they had previously believed about disabled people. Seeing that the "normal and beautiful” people were the real monsters who tried to steal and hurt the other performers, made people have to think about their own mindset toward circus performers, and disabled people. It was labeled as exploitive, but I believe it’s far from that. The cast was all actual circus performers, with disabilities. They were portraying their lives being in a freak show. It didn’t feel like they were being exploited at all, it forces to audience to empathize with them. They weren’t all playing stereotypes, they were all going through experiences just like anyone else. For 1932 this was way ahead of its time. Most films from then, with actual disabled people were extremely exploitive, so this was very interesting and amazing. It’s a great example of human nature, and how greed can take over. A classic from the pre-code era that everyone needs to see.