Bound by Flesh
is strongest when delving into the historical context of the freak show rather
than the personal lives of conjoined twins, Daisy and Violet Hilton. It isn’t
that their lives aren’t interesting, but we are given very little content to
help us understand or relate to them as people, beginning with the essential
choice to remain conjoined despite having no medical reason to stay that way.
These sisters chose to remain attached to each other, even long after their fame
and careers in the entertainment industry had passed.
Directed by wife
and producer of filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, Leslie Zemeckis compiles source
material to tell the story of Daisy and Violet Hilton, though it always feels
like a narrative being told from the outside. We are given little insight into
the actual thoughts and feelings of the conjoined sisters, not to mention
anyone else in the industry of being exploited. For all of the historical
information that there is about this shift in American interest, Bound by Flesh
is disappointingly void of perspectives from anyone on the inside. There are
plenty of talking heads describing the historical significance of these times,
and more than a few who had personally known the sisters, but none are able to
speak for the thoughts and feelings of people making a living off of their own
physical deformities.
Rather than
understanding these women better through the stories about them, they seem more
enigmatic with each revelation about their lives. Most of the stories are
simply an extension of their public personalities, which were primarily created
to increase their popularity and ticket sales. Though they had actual
relationships, there is more interest in exposing the fake ones that were
fabricated as promotional stunts. The overall feel of the film is not much
different than I imagine was provided for those who initially visited the
sisters in their sideshow attractions; these two girls might as well be behind
glass, the audience detached from ever really knowing them beyond the surface.
The DVD release
includes additional interviews of “normal” people talking about the “abnormal.”
There is also a making-of featurette, vintage audio interviews and a photo
gallery.
Entertainment Value:
5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 5.5/10
Historical
Significance: 4/10
Special Features: 6/10
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