content: Even people jaded by the extreme "realism" of the 21st century will be shocked by this one. I don't think any mainstream film maker today would have the guts to film this without some sort of political or socially correct manipulation. The story itself is rather pedestrian - opportunistic beauty takes advantage of besotted midget, and runs afoul of his friends. The action takes place in an old time circus, complete with the freaks that are no longer de riguer. The shocker is that few special effects are used, and the freaks are played by themselves. The result is a film with less of the 30s Hollywood melodrama, and a more realistic portrait of people who are physically different - some tragically disfigured. I found the experience moving and harrowing at the same time.