1. Freaks has been considered a horror film, do you agree? Write an argument defending your choice.
- I much as I am aware of the horrific nature of some scenes within Freaks, but I do not agree that it truly is a horror film. Rather than a horror, I view the movie as a psychological thriller due to the fact that it emphasizes the psychology of the characters and their unstable emotional states. In order for it to have been a horror film, it would have had to target the audience's primal fears, which it did not. While past society may have had an underlying fear of the unknown, this film did not seek to terrorize the audience with that said fear. Instead, its intent was to unravel the "monstrous" stereotypes, fears, and mentalities that some may have against those who are physically deformed. Also, most true horror films have frequently repeated scenes of terror that are meant to elicit negative emotions from the viewers, but this film only contains one such scene. It could be much more accurately described as a psychological thriller due to the aspects of moral ambiguity and the complex and tortured relationships between the pathological characters.
I don't actually know if I agree with you! I don't really see how it's a psychological thriller since I don't see the suspense to and from scene. You say "complex and tortured relationships" but ...they were pretty simple. Frieda cared about Hans, Cleopatra wanted to use Hans for his money, Hans was tricked... But any more than that wasn't pictured on screen, it's mostly conjecture. I feel like there IS moral ambiguity, but only with the coda. Otherwise, everything pointed towards whoever getting their just desserts.
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