Freaks (1932)

“They're going to make you one of them, my peacock!”

            Happy Halloween my fellow film fanatics! Hope you are celebrating safely and fun or if you have already celebrated today that you had a good time. Today I will be celebrating by attending my first YouTube convention, StreamCon NYC! So far it has been a ton of fun!

            For Halloween I decided to finally watch the classic 1932 film Freaks. Another fellow film fanatic has been telling me for a while to watch Freaks. It is also a classic film I have heard about over the years especially since Irving Thalberg produced and I enjoy learning about him. I have read that it was horrifying and disgusting. Well, horrifying and disgusting according to 1930s standards. I had to see what the big deal is with this film and why it has such a reputation.

            The film begins with visitors of a circus gathering around a pen. A lady cries out in horror. A man entraps the visitors around the pen with the story of the horror they are repulsed by.

            The beautiful trapeze artist Cleopatra is the object of the midget Hans. Hans does have a fiancée in fellow midget Frieda. They are both part of the sideshow freaks. Frieda is distraught because Hans has not been paying attention to her. His object of desire has been shifted to Cleopatra. Cleopatra decides to mess with Hans. Frieda decides to have a talk with her rival. She reveals to Cleopatra that Hans has come into an inheritance. Cleopatra is messing around with another performer called Hercules and she gets the idea to marry Hans then poison him and get his money.

            Hans and Cleopatra get married. During the party Cleopatra starts poisoning Hans. The group of freaks decide to make her one of them even though she is normal. She cannot handle that they are trying to make her a part of their group and in a drunken stupor admits to being in love with Hercules and kisses him. All the freaks leave the table.

            Hans soon become sick and he catches on that his new wife is trying to poison him. The freaks turn on Hercules and Cleopatra. They turn over their wagon and chase her down in the rain.

            The woman the visitors are looking at is Cleopatra. She has been turned into a human duck with her legs missing and the rest of her body deformed.

            Freaks was alright. I can see why audiences were grossed out by it when it was first released. None of the people with disabilities and deformities were tolerated or in the open. The first two minutes of the film is dedicated to an explanation of why these people with deformities and disabilities are considered freaks and what has happened to them throughout history. It is really sad looking at this film and the explanation today. For me looking at Freaks today is disturbing because, as I said, it is sad to see the way the “freaks” were portrayed. I am only going to suggest Freaks for major classic film fans or if you enjoy learning about Irving Thalberg and want to see the films he produced. 

Silent Sundays: Genuine A Tale of a Vampire (1920)

“Genuine, my love.”

            Genuine: A Tale of a Vampire is not a vampire film in the sense we are used to today. This female vampire does not have fangs nor does she only come out at night. Theda Bara was known as The Vamp with the reason being that she was a “vampire” luring men in seductive ways in her films and looking seductive in promo photos. Like Theda Bara, Genuine is a vamp in the sense that she lures men in and they go mad with love.

            The film begins with an artist named Percy. Not clearly stated in the film but according to Wikipedia, Percy has completed a painting of the high priestess Genuine. Since he has been working on the painting he has become withdrawn from society. Percy sits down on his couch to read his favorite story about Genuine a high priestess from Middle Eastern tribe. When he falls asleep his portrait of Genuine comes alive and she escapes.

            Somehow the story gets flipped back to Genuine when she was a high priestess in her tribe. Her tribe fought many wars and was finally defeated. The conquering tribe took Genuine and sold her into slavery. She is bought by an old man named Lord Melo who is eccentric and keeps her in a locked room in his house.

            The only other people allowed in his house are an African slave and his barber Guyard. The townspeople are becoming worried over what Lord Melo is keeping in his house. Since Guyard is the only one allowed in the house he is summoned by a judge to appear in court at the same time he is to be at Lord Melo’s home. The barber sends his nephew Florian to attend the old man.

            Genuine, meanwhile, finds a way to escape her prison. She climbs up a ladder and into the room where Florian is shaving the sleeping Lord. Florian is immediately captivated by the mysterious woman and her seductive power. He does not want to leave her side. Since Florian is so in love with her, Genuine convinces him to kill the old Lord for her and he slits the man’s throat.

            Percy turns out to be Lord Melo’s grandson. He had written to Lord Melo about coming to visit since they have not seen each other in a few years. Melo had been worried about Percy arriving and what would happen if he found out about Genuine. When Percy arrives Genuine is right there. Now all Percy wants to do is shower her with gifts of anything she could possibly ask for. Soon, of course, Genuine turns Percy into a mad man with lust.

            Florian has also gone insane. Guyard cannot understand why his nephew has yelled out that he has murdered someone. The townspeople immediate know that the woman Lord Melo had been keeping is behind Florian’s insanity and they gather to storm the house to get rid of her. Before they can arrive at the house to find the temptress herself, Florian got there and killed her since he could not have her for his own pleasure.

            I can only thank God Genuine: A Tale of a Vampire was not longer than the forty-four minutes it ran. It was not too terrible but it got a bit boring because the plot was a somewhat confusing. The acting was over the top in some parts but that is to be expected from early silent films. I went insane with the sets because since this is a German film the sets were made in the Expressionist style. They were made of large, over the top, loud shapes that dominated the rooms creating an unsettling feeling. I love how the Expressionist style was used in German films in the silent era it added so much to their suspense/thrillers. I will only say to watch Genuine: A Tale of a Vampire if you are very much into silent films or would like to see really incredible sets. If you are not into those than skip it.