What makes the film interesting and gives it its cult status is the fact that real circus freaks were used in the film. This gives Freaks a genuine shock value that could never have been duplicated with special effects. Coupled with this is dark and twisted storyline that really impresses, even though you may know where it's going. The downside of using these circus performers in the film is that they are not actors. A lot of the dialogue, especially from the central midget character, Hans, comes off sounding very forced. Olga Baclanova also hams it up a little too much as the villainess. In fact, the only good actor in the bunch seems to be Wallace Ford, playing one of the few friends to the circus freaks. Still, the movie succeeds in making an emotional connection, not so much because of the weight of the performances, but because of the realism of their situation. We get the sense that what these characters are going through on screen is not far from what they go through in life. Then, of course, we get to see them do what they would never get a chance to do in real life: take their revenge!
Review of Freaks
