The Man Who Laughs (1928) 7/11

Directed by Paul Leni

Conrad Veidt - Gwynplaine

Mary Philbin - Dea

Based on the novel by Victor Hugo.

As a young boy Gwynplaine, the son of a disfavoured Lord, becomes the victim of revenge against his father -- the King orders the boy have a permanent smile carved onto is face. Abandoned by his captors in the winter snow, he finds a baby girl in the arms of her dead mother. They are taken in by a travelling freak show and Gwynplaine becomes a popular attraction. As they grow up together, Gwynplaine falls in love with Dea, the child he rescued, who is blind, and she with him. Unaware of his true identity, Gwynplaine becomes unwittingly drawn back into the world of politics that had left him so horrifically scarred many years ago...

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• silent
• film
• the
• man
• who
• laughs
• victor
• hugo
• conrad
• veidt
• paul
• leni

[jarvisel]

This movie literally breaks my heart. It has to be the most beautiful love story I've ever heard. This makes Phantom of the Opera look as romantic as The Office.

[xxxxxxkarlaxxxxxx]

Conrad Veidt is so hot in this role...and Brandon Hurst (the jester) is a masterpiece!

[grace317]

Dae is the polar opposite of Christine Daae played by the same actress..

[thecooltactition81]

I don't care how bad ass u think u are, if u don't get kinda choked up when he goes back to his girl after fucking up with the duchess--and his girl still accepts him back like he never left, if that doesn't get u nothing will (and u might not have a pulse)

[lincolnyu]

@TheaterRaven yes, i think you are right.

[TheaterRaven]

@lincolnyu I think, here in the movie, she both found Gwynplaine amusing as was surprised by the letter.

In the book, it's even worse--she gets Gwynplaine all worked up and just when you think he's going to do the unimaginable and you're yelling at the pages, "No! No, Gwynplaine, don't screw her--YOU LOVE DEA, DAMN IT!", the letter arrives. Josiana makes Gwynplaine read it to her, and after, she says to him, "So, you will be my husband. Nothing could be better. I hate you."

[lincolnyu]

@TheaterRaven but for that particular laughter of hers which later turned into cry, it was due to the letter rather than she found the man amusing, wasn't it? I really need to spend some time reading the whole book from the beginning.

[TheaterRaven]

@balrog13571 "Freaks"--what a wonderful movie, truly a classic; Olga and the rest of the cast are great in it.

As for Josiana here, I don't think she feels pity at all; she just uses him in hopes of satisfying her sick fetish, but before things go anywhere, she laughs in his face. What a heartless bitch.

I love when he returns to Dea and FINALLY realizes that she loves him, no matter what. I think the face-feeling scene is when Gwynplaine finally admits to himself that he's in love with Dea. <3

[irinayugiohfan]

@balrog13571 Yes, I saw it. It's an awesome movie and she is a bitch in that movie, too...

[balrog13571]

@irinayugiohfan

Ever see the movie Freaks? The same actress Olga Baclanova played a woman who was twice as monstrous as her character here. At least in this she pitied someone like Gwynplaine, but in Freaks she's just downright cruel.

[Kazuite6]

Oh dear I wondered if I'd cry and there it was a scene that made me. Sigh.

[TheaterRaven]

@irinayugiohfan Agreed. I can't stand Josiana. She's a stupid, spoiled aristocrat.

As for Dea, yes, she's awesome. I can relate to her a lot, actually. She barely survived the snowstorm as a baby and I was born three months prematurely with a less than 1% chance of survival. She's blind and I'm visually impaired (blind in my left eye, decent sight in my right). I love this whole story. Gwynplaine and Dea's love is beautiful. I'm actually working on a stage play of "The Man Who Laughs" now. :)