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Freaks is one of my favourite films (i would love there to be a longer, more fleshed out version of it tho - it's only 61 minutes, and as has been said has a very simplistic plot, which i think could have had more sub-plots added). It's actually given major props by the disability rights movement for having used real disabled circus performers (or ex-circus performers) as actors rather than non-disabled actors "cripping up" as was, and often still is, common practice, and for presenting the "exploited" disabled characters unequivocally as sympathetic/"heroes" (it's also probably one of the first films in which brutal revenge is carried out by the "good" side)...
To add to the classical allusions, the big one for me is Hercules and the Hydra - dunno if anyone's read The Many-Headed Hydra: The Hidden History of the Revolutionary Atlantic by Peter Linebaugh & Marcus Rediker, but i was in the middle of reading it when i saw "Freaks", and the idea of Hercules as symbol of Western/imperialist "civilisation" and Order fighting against the titular Hydra, the "motley rabble" of the unwilling exploited, representing diversity, disorder and Chaos gives added resonance to "Hercules" the strongman being defeated by the unity of the diverse "freaks" he intended to exploit... perehaps even more radical in implication than was intended...
The question of whether the disabled actors were "exploited" by Browning himself, particularly with reference to those who (probably) had mental as well as physical impairments, has oftyen been raised, but tbh without any real satisfactory conclusion - AFAIK there is no solid evidence of any kind of coercion, and IIRC several of them were friends of Browning's from his own circus days, and his intent was definitely to give a sympathetic and realistic portrayal of their lives (as well as the horror/drama, of course). IMO films like "Inside I'm Dancing", "Theory Of Flight" or "My Left Foot" (while not totally devoid of merit) are far more exploitative, for trying to be all "inspirational" and "issues-ey" (for want of being able to think of a better term) about disability, while using non-disabled actors, despite there being no lack of talented disabled actors, who could play those parts much more truthfully and powerfully...
[thinks about starting a general thread on "issues of representation in film", touching on disability, race and gender/sexuality ("Boys Don't Cry", "TransAmerica", etc)...]
had more to say, but can't think of it right now... will probably be back...
oh yeah, Barbelith totally should do the "gooble gobble" acceptance ceremony...  |
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