The story is of a circus crew, many of which are sideshow style freaks. A woman by the name of Cleopatra discovers that a midget called Hans has a fortune and decides to marry him. She is also having an affair with a man named Hercules, who is not a 'freak'. The other freaks discover her affair and the fact she has no interest in Hans besides his money and they seek their revenge.
The movie uses people with real deformities as its cast. This was the reason it was so shocking, not that the public saw it as exploitative but because they were disgusted with the sights on the screen. Infact a complaint Browning recieved stated: "To put such creatures in a picture and before the public is unthinkable." Yet the message of the film is that while all these 'freaks' are good people and honorable, the two 'normal' people are the real monsters, laughing at them and treating them with contempt.
Many of the original scenes were cut due to test audience reactions and a whole new scene was shot to give the film a happier ending. It also killed off the career of Tod Browning as it was so hated and shunned. It has since gathered a cult following although the original cut scenes are thought to be lost and are not available on DVD and video.
I would recommend Freaks for fans of the obscure and dark, macabre imagery. Nothing too graphic takes place and if you're a younger, gore fan, you might find it boring, but i love it. It's unique and the message of the film is an important one.
