In The Man Who Laughs,
one of the last great films of the silent era, Conrad Veidt plays Gwynplain,
the victim of a horrible childhood disfigurement. Someone once took a knife to his mouth, carving his face
into a perpetual, horrific smile.
He’s a freak, a sideshow attraction, who also happens to be
smart and sensitive and good. How
can someone like that hope to find anything approaching happiness in 18th
century England?
I’ll leave you to discover the answer. More interestingly, you should know
that The Man Who Laughs, though a
Universal production, is among the last great gasps of German Expressionist
film. Director Paul Leni, one of
the great German Expressionists, made Waxworks. Star Conrad Veidt made The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari. Executive Producer Paul Kohner,
formerly head of Universal’s German arm, helped bring them together in
Hollywood to make the picture (all three, German Jews, had fled the Nazis). [Source: Roger
Ebert]
Even more interestingly, you should know that this
adaptation of a Victor Hugo novel is a genuinely gripping film. As with most silents, it may take you
twenty minutes or so to reorient your brain to the slightly different
format. Once you dial in, however,
you’ll find a sympathetic hero, a seductive temptress, dastardly villains, sly
humor, and a level of sophistication that’ll inspire you to want to view the
movie a second and third time. All
this, plus swordfights, pathos, and even a heroic dog. What more could you ask for?
So go into The Man Who
Laughs to do your homework on German Expressionism, Victor Hugo, and even
the history of DC Comics.* Once
you’re there, you’ll lose track of time, lose yourself in the story, and root
for Gwynplain to overcome all who stand between him and happiness. The
Man Who Laughs is a historic film.
It’s an influential film.
Most importantly, it’s a good film.
*In 1940, Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson, and Bill Finger created
The Joker character to serve as Batman’s nemesis in “Batman #1.” According to Kane, they modeled the
Joker’s look on Veidt in The Man Who
Laughs.
