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Freaks, grifters, geeks and clowns

From the big-top clowns to the little people, as, once upon a midway, midgets were known, circus movies regard the human menagerie, reducing circus performers to archetypes. The strong Man. The Fat Lady. The Juggler. The Clown. This week's release of Water for Elephants, based on Sara Gruen's bestselling novel, is both a celebration of carny camaraderie and an indictment of the casual cruelty to people and animals at the circus. Here are Flickgrrl's favorite circus movies. Yours?