For me it's the 1932 movie, Freaks.
To me it was sad and shocking beyond measure. I've read that when it was released, it so disturbed people, that it wasn't shown until midnight in most theaters. It also ruined the career of one of the movie makers. Not sure if it was a director or producer.
I'm not sure why the movie shocked more people than the actual circus did. Can't quite figure that one out.
What they called "freaks", were people with birth defects or diseases which weren't curable at the time, and often resulted in premature death. The movie used their suffering and misfortune to make money, just as they did when using them in the circus.
But fortunately enough for them, the actors at least had a source of income, or at least food and shelter at a time when our government would let them die on the vine or institutionalize them. Another small plus for them was their cohesiveness and ability to bond with others sharing the same fate.
And these poor souls lived as they did, while so many of us are utterly guilty of our failure to recognize how petty our everyday complaints can be.
To me it was sad and shocking beyond measure. I've read that when it was released, it so disturbed people, that it wasn't shown until midnight in most theaters. It also ruined the career of one of the movie makers. Not sure if it was a director or producer.
I'm not sure why the movie shocked more people than the actual circus did. Can't quite figure that one out.
What they called "freaks", were people with birth defects or diseases which weren't curable at the time, and often resulted in premature death. The movie used their suffering and misfortune to make money, just as they did when using them in the circus.
But fortunately enough for them, the actors at least had a source of income, or at least food and shelter at a time when our government would let them die on the vine or institutionalize them. Another small plus for them was their cohesiveness and ability to bond with others sharing the same fate.
And these poor souls lived as they did, while so many of us are utterly guilty of our failure to recognize how petty our everyday complaints can be.