Defend Equality

The film Freaks by Todd Browning is a film that I feel defends equality. At the beginning of the film, a special message is shared with the audience like this: “In ancient times anything that deviated from the normal was considered an omen of ill luck or representative of evil." It goes on to say that during these times, malformed children were placed to die. If by chance they survived, society shunned them due to their deformity.  At the end of the message it states: "The majority of freaks, themselves, endowed with normal thoughts and emotion. Their lot is truly a heartbreaking one."

The film suggests beauty and goodness are not mutually exclusive. Browning creates a film where the "freaks" are the beautiful people and the "beautiful" people like Cleopatra are the freak. Browning also uses freakery to allow the audience to focus on the abnormal human bodies to further validate ones normalcy, even if by pity. Browning allows the audience to see the freaks outward sincerity, loyalty and love and compare it to Cleopatra's dark sinister inside. 

After viewing this film, I feel that Todd Browning allows audiences to take a step back and recognize the equality in us all. I feel strongly after viewing this film, one will walk away having more compassion for individuals with physical differences.