Anyone
who has read David Skal & Elias Savada’s biography Dark Carnival: The
Secret World of Tod Browning knows how overdue we are for a documentary
profile of the eccentric filmmaker. If any of film could sustain a feature-length
examination, it would be his cult classic Freaks. This is not that film,
but the controversial 1932 release is still an important touchstone in Code
of the Freaks, a survey of disability in cinema, which screens as the “opening
night” film of this year’s ReelAbilities Film Festival New York—now online for
obvious reasons.
If
you find the films discussed in this documentary “inspirational,” than the
commentators largely think you are a shallow jerkweed. Frankly, it is rather rewarding
to hear them torch the cheap sentimentality of films like Radio and Men
of Honor. However, films you probably thought were quality, like Jim
Sheridan’s My Left Foot and Randa Haines’ Children of a Lesser God fare
little better.
Admittedly,
many of the clichés that are called out are rather problematic, like the prevalence
of mercy killings as acceptable resolutions in films such as Million Dollar
Baby. Still, this documentary just doesn’t have hardly anything positive to
say about any film, except Browning’s Freaks. Their treatment of the
Universal monster movies is rather unfair, because those films always humanized
the monsters (especially so, given their era). Interpreting the Mummy’s wrappings
as code for the bandages of disfigurement is really pushing it. Someone also
misattributes Frankenstein to Browning, which will not help its case
with old school horror fans.
Again,
the film makes a legitimate point about representation, but it would be much
cleverer if it singled out cases to praise. It would be great if more thesps of
differing abilities could be cast in roles that are not defined by such status.
Arguably, this film creates a disincentive to represent the disabled. Why would
a filmmaker bother, if a doc like this will turn around and slam them for not
getting everything absolutely perfect.
This
film brought to mind unmentioned positive examples, like the criminal attorney
in Robert Altman’s The Player, who helped Tim Robbins beat the rap and
just happened to use a wheelchair (not Sydney Pollack, the other one). There
was also Jim Byrnes keeping Ken Wahl alive in the under-rated 1980s series Wiseguy.
Plus, it would be interesting (and perhaps frustrating) to hear the talking heads’
take on Adam Pearson’s terrific performance in Chained for Life. On the
other hand, how does a movie like this not discuss the exploitative career of
Rondo Hatton?
Check
out some of the films programmed by ReelAbilities, because festivals could use
the support and you have the time, but maybe Code of the Freaks need not
be a priority. However, S. Leo Chiang & Sun Yang’s Our Time Machine should
not be missed next Saturday (4/4). If you are interested in Freaks,
watch Browning’s films or read Skal & Savada instead. Regardless, Code kicks
off the online edition of ReelAbilities this Tuesday (3/31).
