The Man Who Laughs

Spending so much time watching modern cinema, it sometimes takes me a while to get into the rhythm of old silent films; just the different ways in which communication is delivered, and the story told. This is one that's worth making the effort for. It's stylish, atmospheric, with great set design and tells quite a tragic, compelling story, all things considered. Veidt stands out in a strong cast, having to do so much with only his eyes. Unsettling, but charming - recommended.

What those other silent romantic melodrama/horror films of the 20's didn't have that "The Man Who Laughs"(1928) has was...a mother-fucking-movie-dog! Like no one here is gonna talk about what a gangster "Homo" was. That like 20 something year-old-dog jumped out of the water like a fucking shark and bit the bad guy's throat out to save the day. Seriously...BEST WINGMAN EVER!

Not only is Tears of a Clown one of my favorite songs, but now The Man Who Laughs is one of my favorite movies. I like sad clowns a lot more than I enjoy happy Maggie Gyllenhaal. You see, her smile is a not frowning anymore.

Leni's technique is as modern as any, and in fact Man Who Laughs could almost be mistaken for one of those Guy Maddin films that attempts to mimic the old silents. The editing, composition, angles, and lighting are absolutely masterful. The haunting grin of the astonishing Conrad Veldt is a fantastic image. Of course, all that wouldn't mean much without a good story, and Hugo's simple but charming romance does the trick nicely. A very nice surprise.

Labelled in the "horror" genre due to the inciting incident, but the rest of the movie is really a romance in the vein of Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast. The characters are well-cast, and the sets and costuming and lighting are pretty impressive, borrowing quite a bit from the German expressionist films. It does feel long in parts due to the actors emoting wildly (which is a silent movie convention), but overall a good watch. Surprising that this isn't more well-known.

The directing and acting are absolutely masterful, but this is not just another of the expressionist classics whose spectacular visual style hardly makes up for a dull story. The script brings out the best in Victor Hugo's novel; though melodramatic, the story is effectively creepy and harrowing. Undoubtedly one of the best films I've seen from the silent era.

Leni loves his actors and we get powerful piercing turns from all of them. Veidt incredibly does all his work through only his eyes but it all comes out clear as if his whole face was in motion. Could border on melodrama, esp as hugo overdid it, but leni keeps it just this side of too much. The pace is PERFECT never felt a drag or slowdown. Characters, even comedic relief, are portrayed realistically

Despite immensely impressive camerawork and effects, The Man Who Laughs too often drags out the melodramatic elements of its story, and tedium can result at times. The romance at its centre is sweet and the film rightly forgoes the depressing Hugo ending, but a greater focus on the source's horror elements would have been welcome. Conrad Veidt is terrific in a role where all of his expression must come from his eyes.

It is hard to judge a silent and black and white film, the same as I would any other, yet this film is so perfect in what it is. A depressing story, which is frightening at its best. Characters that grow and develop and grow on you, to the point where you feel there pain, as well as a beautiful score, redone for many of this film's following inspirations. A perfect silent film, and a classic in cinema.

While the story can become a bit hokey and melodramatic, there's more than enough good stuff to compensate. A few impressive shots, good looking sets, great casting and moody lighting kept me interested throughout. It helps that Gwynplaine is a beautifully tragic character and Veidt's performance is absolutely wonderful.

Well-made tale of love triumphing over adversity that moves along quickly and makes the most of its large budget (perhaps the final Hollywood blockbuster of the silent era?). Performances are expressive without the hysterical exaggeration that sometimes makes silent films seem so distant from us. Premiered in New York six days after THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC premiered in Copenhagen: while this is a very impressive and somewhat affecting melodrama, Dreyer's masterpiece occupies another realm.

It's a testimony to its stunning expressionist setting this Gothic melodrama is considered (also) a horror. While really it's mostly a tragic romance with even parts swashbuckler. Conrad Veidt is able to convey all emotions with just the tiniest twitch in his eyes and movements of his hands. While Mary Philbin plays being blind very convincingly.

Hello Frankenstein. Very carefuly made, as most production values have the right touch; Veidt is intense and touching. And there's something missing. "What a lucky clown you are -you don't have to rub off your laugh!". Perhaps it's just a strange mix. Quite special.

Masterful visuals and a story made compelling by a strong performance from Veidt. Even with the mouth prosthetic he does an awful lot with his eyes. The rest of the cast is pretty good too and the film manages to be very briskly paced, something lacking in even a lot of great silents.

A sad, moving, and unsettling movie. Conrad Veidt is able to express such varied emotions using only his eyes. Quite a rare accomplishment, and quite a great movie.

Incredible film. From the first 5 minutes I knew I would love it. The feeling, the character depth, all of it. Probably my favourite film of all time. Ursus was an unexpected delight. Usually the "ring master" is kind of evil and cruel, but Ursus was always so attentive and caring to both Dea and Gwynplaine, and only wanted the best for them. He took it over the top. And Homo! And I do love a happy ending.

I don't buy it at all. The whole story arc is based on main character's mutilated mouth, but his face is not deformed or grotesque in the slightest, just Julia-Roberts-smiling-wide level creepy. Apart from that it's a well shot and directed, but rather predictable melodrama.

Excellent early Universal horror that still feels quite fresh in 2023. A couple of plot points aren't quite clear but it's impeccably crafted and the title character manages to convey all sorts of emotions despite the big smile always on his face. Very strong. Would pair well with He Who Gets Slapped.

As with much of silent cinema, this is an actors' film. Veidt, Philbin, Baclanova and the rest of the cast are superb. Veidt in particular stands out, naturally, with a very intense performance, often portraying the deeply troubled and broken emotions of his character with his eyes only. Third act lost it a bit. But the camera work, the closeups, the direction and the adapted dialogue - masterful cinema, jaw-dropping at parts.

It has a promising start and interesting characters, but the expectation is diluted in the long runtime - in the end, it doesn't deliver what it promises.

The apoethesis of Leni's film craft that balances visual brilliance and rhythmic precision with supreme skill, avoiding the sluggishness common to many long silent films, despite the presence of some inevitably hokey elements. Veidt gives an extraordinarily expressive performance, especially given the restrictions imposed on movement by heavy makeup, and while the story is simple, it's executed with such talent and conviction that it hardly matters.

It plays well today, but it didn't really do much for me.

What a strange film, well worth a watch.

82.5.

Awesome, brilliant acting, brilliant set pieces, brilliant direction.

89.000

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I'm not really sure why this is so often classified as a horror movie. The only thing slightly horrifying about it is the idea of someone with a permanent smile carved into his face. But it's never really scary. Most of the conflict in the movie revolves around the main character discovering that he's the heir to a throne, and all the workings of people who do or don't want that to be. There's no sense of tension or suspense that you normally get in the horror genre.

He gave us the origin of The Joker.

Melodramatic as hell, yes, but my god, the visuals.

Even though i am far from exhausting the silent film era, i am pretty firm that this is an exquisite piece. Conrad Veidt really caught my eye...with his eyes and i am eager to see more of his acting.

Lots of reasons to watch this one, Conrad Veidt being the first one. But behind the great cinmatics and late-silent soundtrack, I wish the story were less melodrama and more creepy horror

A touching performance by Veidt who cries in spite of his rigid smile. A happy and satisfying ending as well. Something I see too little of these days.

"The film's fascination with bric-a-brac and its tendency towards spare, minimalist compositions is evidence of a stylistic schism." - Eric Henderson

Wonderful action sequences, with a roving daredevil camera and all sorts of great moments (plus it has a dog named Homo).

88.375

Why would they have no problem killing Gwynplaine's father and the doctor, but feel obliged to obey estate law?

Beautifully filmed, but a cliche-ridden story gets in the way, and Universal's psuedo-soundtrack gets downright annoying at times.