Freaks (1932)

Director: Tod Browning
Country: United States

I was just a little kid when I saw "Freaks" by happenstance on public television with my father, I was very impressed and scared at the same time for watching real "freaks" acting on the screen, especially the girls joined at the hips, "The Living Torso", "Half Boy", "Schlitzie" and some others, also I remember being upset about the main theme, which is the Cleopatra's betrayal of Hans . 

The scene in the movie that shocked my early sense of morality and ethics was the one when Hans and Cleopatra (who is not a "freak" like the rest of the circus' members are) get married, but later on, she and Hercules kiss each other in front of Hans, that was out of my league, I was so angry about it and at the same time I felt so sorry for the good-hearted Hans, who is in love with Cleopatra and is willing to eat shit from her, in order to be her husband. 

Solidarity and friendship are the main values in this amazing film, in which the freaks are so united and have a strong sense of justice and hence Cleopatra and Hercules pay the price for their heartless acts . I consider myself fortunate for having seen this historical horror masterpiece on TV as a child. 

"Freaks" stills powerful to new audiences and just imagine if they (the studios) had preserved the original ending in which Hercules gets castrated, would have been even scarier, fortunately the film got the recognition it deserves after many decades of being banned in many countries and now is a cult-classic film, also it has been homaged many times in popular culture, especially in TV shows like "South Park" and "The Simpsons". If you haven't purchased a copy of this, you gotta do it right now! (and it has great supplementals)