Bound By Flesh
Written and Directed by Leslie Zemeckis
Covering the astonishing life of conjoined twins Violet and Daisy better known as “the Hilton Sisters”. Writer/Director Leslie Zemeckis Chronicales their story from young girls in England up until their tragic passing in rural North Carolina. The sisters rose to prominence on the Sideshow stage and later Vaudville with their combination of born talent (being conjoined) and there learned talents of musicianship, dance and deft patter. Zemeckis gathers together multiple authorities on not only their lives but also provides a fascinating glimpse into the sideshow life.
The tragic story of the sisters showcases how they went from being a top billing act under the oppressive Myer Myers to their breaking out on their own. From performing on Vaudville with Bob Hope to pregnancy and marriage no aspect is left untouched including how the naïve and uneducated sisters gett taken advantage of by men repeatedly.
Zemeckis doesn’t just provide a glossy sheen on how conjoined twins were able to make a fortune by exploiting a birth defect, just as much time is focused on their sad decent and fall from prominence. With crackling audio segments of the actual sisters, notes, and in depth interviews this is as well researched as any documentary.
I was initially pulled in like any rube due to the freakshow factor, my only knowledge of the sisters was that they had a s role in Tod Browning’s classic film ‘Freaks ‘ What I didn’t know was how utterly fascinating the lives of the Hilton Sisters would be. I was genuinely moved and saddened by how they ultimately passed, and found myself admiring them.
Director Leslie Zemeckis delivers an engrossing film that is as much captivating as it is tragic.
Grade – 92
BOUND BY FLESH opens in Los Angeles and New York and on VOD this Friday, June 27th.
Showing will be held at Arena Cinema in Hollywood and the IFC Center in New York City
