Freaks (1932)

A beautifully layered emotional parfait, here to warm your heart and then tear it in half (and then staple/ tape back together at the end). It’s honestly horrible to watch the wedding party scene where everyone sings to bring Cleo into the family, only for her to snap back in complete disgust and rejection. Unfortunately this film is so real. Daisy Earles gives an especially heartbreaking performance…the line “To me, you’re a man. But to her, you’re only something to laugh at” haunts me.

Some things that tickled me:

Johnny Eck is distractingly handsome in the background of every scene he’s in. Something about his smile is just electric!

Of course I had to look up more about Josephine Joseph’s story.  Obsessed with their whole deal- caught lying about their age (for seemingly no reason), publicly accused of faking their intersex status but refusing to submit to a doctor’s inspection, and everyone just had to admit that they really did look like half man-half woman. To be fair, they pleaded guilty. But then they were acquitted! Damn, okay! Bookmarking the idea of a leopard print unitard and slicked back haircut for when I turn 30...