Christine of the Big Tops

Christine of the Big Tops is a psychological exploration of inherited trauma and domestic possession disguised as a circus melodrama. After a tragic accident claims her parents, Christine is left in the custody of a surrogate family of performers, specifically the balloon-vendor Hagan and the possessive Pete Barman. As she transitions from ward to performer, the film pivots from a survival story into a claustrophobic romance. The arrival of Bob Hastings, a circus doctor, provides Christine with a glimpse of a life beyond the tent, but it simultaneously triggers a violent territorialism in Barman. The film navigates the thin line between protection and imprisonment, set against the backdrop of a traveling show that feels less like a spectacle and more like a closed ecosystem.