The Man Who Laughs1928
The Man Who Laughs (1928)
The Man Who Laughs Photos
Movie Info
Cast
as Wapentake
as Duchess Josiana
as Dea
as Gwynplaine
as Barkilphedro, the Jester
as Dea's "Mother"
as Clown
as Innkeeper
as James II
as Lord Dirry-Noir
as The Spy
as Gwynplaine as a Child
as Lord High Chancellor
as Clown
as Queen Anne
as Ursus
as Dr. Hardqucinnone
Critic Reviews for The Man Who Laughs
All Critics (14) | Top Critics (5) | Fresh (14) | Rotten (0) | DVD (1)
The Man Who Laughs is a truly great, a devastatingly beautiful film.
As usual in Hugo, love is measured in sacrifice, yielding a sincere and extravagant sense of romance.
Baclanova is amusing as a decadent duchess, but it's Leni's pictorial genius -- aided here by what must have been an enormous budget -- that marks the film as one of the most exhilarating of late silent cinema.
This production has been fashioned with considerable skill. It is, of course, a gruesome tale in which the horror is possibly moderated but none the less disturbing.
One of the final treasures of German silent Expressionism.
The superb German actor Conrad Veidt plays the pathetic protagonist, while Mary Philbin, whose most celebrated screen role was opposite another physically damaged hero in The Phantom of the Opera, is extremely touching as his beloved.
Audience Reviews for The Man Who Laughs
Based on a novel by Victor Hugo, this is the story of Gwynplaine- a nobleman's son who, when he was a child, was kidnapped by a political rival, and disfigured by a gypsy "surgeon" who carves a perpetual smile onto the young boy's face. Finding shelter with a traveling freakshow, Gwynplaine matures into adulthood and falls in love with the beautiful, but blind Dea, who is the only person able to get past his appearance. Eventually Gwynplaine gets drawn back into the world of political intrigue where he finds himself forced to make some really crucial decisions. Because of Gwynplaine's facial deformity (which also served as the inspiration for Batman's arch nemesis The Joker), and the garish freakshow elements, this film is often thrown in with the horror genre. In reality, it's really just a sweeping melodramatic romance, and a decent one at that. This was made for Universal, but fits right in with the German Expressionist era that many of the cast and crew got famous in. It features wonderful shadowy cinematography, moody set designs, and some good makeup effects from renowned artist Jack Pierce. It's a silent affair, but has some great music and sound effects to carry it along. I did enjoy the story, but feel that, at 110 minutes, this is too long. Maybe if this were a talkie this wouldn't be an issue. Since it's silent though, a lot of it feels really drawn out and overblown. I really dug the performances though. Conrad Veidt is terrific as Gwynplaine, and Pierce's makeup effects are pretty snazzy, especially considering when this was made. Mary Philbin is captivating as Dea, and she and Veidt make for a wonderful screen couple. The performances by Olga Baclanova, George Siegmann, and Cesare Gravina are pretty swell as well. All in all, this is a really good film, but somewhat flawed. Maybe if it were a little tighter my grade would be a bit higher. That said though, I still really enjoyed this, and definitely think you should give it a try.
Super Reviewer
A great classic movie, I really liked it, it's beautiful. I can tell that many films have been inspired by this story, and it's great to finally see the inspiration. I highly recommend seeing this movie.
Super Reviewer
spectacular movie!! Its not so much a horror movie as it is a romance. I ador Conrad Veidt and Mary Philbin. They are both great!!
Super Reviewer
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