The Man Who Laughs (1928) :
Brief Review -
A gothic historical romance to be remembered for experimental characterisation from the pioneering phase of Cinema. 20s decade had given us major influential classics by setting up so many genres and characters. Whether it was horror (Nosferatu), psychological thriller (The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari), Mythological Horror (Haxan), Horror Thriller (The Phantom Of Opera), Sci Fi (The Golem, Metropolis), Adverture (The Thief Of Bagdad), Animation (The Adventures of Prince Achmed) and other mainstream genres. Also, in the same decade we got many experimental characters in the same genres mentioned above and The Man Who Laughs should be another addition in the list. Those were the days when filmmakers and actors used to dare taking up challenges and that's why those films/characters became iconic. Lon Chaney's 'He Who Gets Slapped' brought that Clawn theory and how. The man who Laughs is on the same lines but with that 'carved smile on face' segment which today's audience has seen from Joker's character in DC's Batman movies. Well, this was many decades ago so you know it is a path breaking stuff. When a proud noble refuses to kiss the hand of the despotic King James in 1690, he is cruelly executed and his son surgically disfigured. Conrad Veidt plays the carved man and you feel him the way he acts. Not just in emotional scenes but in other eventful scenes also. Mary Philbin plays a blind girl and his lover and she is very sweet. Other cast members are okay. Paul Leni, known for German Expressionism, had something else to say this time and he successfully managed to express the human drama in right manners. One or two things didn't work the way it should have and it came 4-5 years late too, but otherwise it's a very nice film and definitely recommendable for some experimental and imaginative elements.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
A gothic historical romance to be remembered for experimental characterisation from the pioneering phase of Cinema. 20s decade had given us major influential classics by setting up so many genres and characters. Whether it was horror (Nosferatu), psychological thriller (The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari), Mythological Horror (Haxan), Horror Thriller (The Phantom Of Opera), Sci Fi (The Golem, Metropolis), Adverture (The Thief Of Bagdad), Animation (The Adventures of Prince Achmed) and other mainstream genres. Also, in the same decade we got many experimental characters in the same genres mentioned above and The Man Who Laughs should be another addition in the list. Those were the days when filmmakers and actors used to dare taking up challenges and that's why those films/characters became iconic. Lon Chaney's 'He Who Gets Slapped' brought that Clawn theory and how. The man who Laughs is on the same lines but with that 'carved smile on face' segment which today's audience has seen from Joker's character in DC's Batman movies. Well, this was many decades ago so you know it is a path breaking stuff. When a proud noble refuses to kiss the hand of the despotic King James in 1690, he is cruelly executed and his son surgically disfigured. Conrad Veidt plays the carved man and you feel him the way he acts. Not just in emotional scenes but in other eventful scenes also. Mary Philbin plays a blind girl and his lover and she is very sweet. Other cast members are okay. Paul Leni, known for German Expressionism, had something else to say this time and he successfully managed to express the human drama in right manners. One or two things didn't work the way it should have and it came 4-5 years late too, but otherwise it's a very nice film and definitely recommendable for some experimental and imaginative elements.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.