The Man Who Laughs

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 18^th 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.

Destiny

Fritz Lang's DESTINY is an inventive, entertaining film that captured my imagination.

Somewhere in preindustrial Germany, a young couple sets out upon their life's journey. But Death takes the man away, and the woman will try anything to get him back. She confronts Death and begs for her husband, who responds, "I'm tired of being hated for doing God's will. I'll make you a deal: you get three chances to defeat me. If you succeed, I'll give you your husband back."

And thus the film takes us to palace of the Caliph, where a young Frenchman conspires with the sister of the Caliph to find true love's way. From there, it's on to Venice, where jealousy plays at rapiers with love. Finally, DESTINY takes us to mythic China, where the Emperor takes whom he wants, no matter whether she loves another.

DESTINY's framing device gives each of these tales an overarching urgency, but they'd work as well as stand alone short films. Lang cuts loose here, exploring film's ability to conjure palaces of the imagination, armies of magical miniatures, and the very gates of mortality as he tells the simple story of a woman trying to save the life of her one true love. This is a sumptuous film, full of lore, popular religion, and tales that could find a home in the _Arabian Nights_.

For many, Charlie Chaplin *is* silent film. That's fine, really - he served as my gateway to the era. For the person looking to explore silents outside the realm of comedy, DESTINY is a great place to start. It'll grab you early, it won't let go, and it'll make you glad you sat down with it.