Product Details

• Actors: Mary Philbin, Conrad Veidt, Julius Molnar Jr., Olga Baclanova, Brandon Hurst
• Format: Black & White, DVD, Silent, NTSC
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Kino Video
• DVD Release Date: September 30, 2003
• Run Time: 110 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000B1A1J
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #59,467 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Paul Leni's The Man Who Laughs" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

MAN WHO LAUGHS - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing Quite Like It., September 23, 2003

By 

Chip Kaufmann (Asheville, N.C. United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Paul Leni's The Man Who Laughs (DVD)

I read Victor Hugo's THE MAN WHO LAUGHS in 9th grade. First the Classics Illustrated version and then the book itself. I had already read HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME and TOILERS OF THE SEA and loved them both. Caught in that awkward transitional age between junior high and high school during the turbulent 1960's, I could identify with Hugo's doomed romantic heroes and heroines.

It was only years later that I found out about a silent film version of the book and it was many years after that before I obtained a poor VHS copy of it. Now at last there is an excellent DVD home edition thanks to Kino International which presents the film in as good a condition as we are ever likely to see. It consists of a combination of two prints one from England and the other from Italy which accounts for an Italian intertitle showing up in the middle of the disc (oops!).

As mentioned in another review the film is a gallery of the grotesque with emphasis being placed not surprisingly on faces. Just note Sam De Grasse as King James and venerable silent villian Brandon Hurst's first appearances in the prologue and you'll see what I mean. Check out Cesare Gravina as Ursus whose facial expressions are a show unto themselves. There are several well known silent film veterans in this film including George Siegmann and Josephine Crowell from BIRTH OF A NATION. Special mention must be made of Olga Baclanova (FREAKS) as the jaded duchess Josiana. This is her finest hour on film. The art direction and the cinematography are stunning and if you look up during the concert scene you'll notice a ceiling (13 years before CITIZEN KANE).

The first two-thirds of the film are riveting but it runs out of steam when it turns too conventional at the end. Some of the camera speed seems a little fast at times and the original Movietone score, although beautifully restored (the best of that vintage I've ever heard), is occasionally annoying especially the sound effects and specifically the song WHEN LOVE COMES STEALING which was thrown in to help sell sheet music and promote the film. Too bad Kino couldn't have offered us a modern score as well to choose from.

Despite these flaws I still give the film 5 stars for the performance of Conrad Veidt, the incredible lighting and photography, and the fact that as a silent film there is nothing quite like it. The DVD has a number of interesting extras as well. Finally as you can tell from the cover, it was this film that gave Batman creator Bob Kane the idea for the look of the Joker. It also plays an important part in the resolution of Brian De Palma's THE BLACK DAHLIA.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MAN WHO LAUGHS is moving, masterful., October 13, 2003

By 

Hazen B Markoe (St. Paul, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Paul Leni's The Man Who Laughs (DVD)

Long thought to be a "lost" film of the silent film era, THE MAN WHO LAUGHS gets a wonderful restoration in this Kino Video DVD. Based on a minor Victor Hugo novel, the film tells the story of Gwynplaine, a nobleman who, as a child, has a horrible grin carved on to his face and is forced to work as a strolling player. Only the beautiful Dea, the blind girl he rescued when both were children, sees him as the kind soul he really is. Both stylistic and fast paced, THE MAN WHO LAUGHS grabs your attention with it's stunning visuals and moving performances. As the tragic Gwynplaine, Conrad Veidt turns in a heart rending performance. This is all the more remarkable when you consider the fact that Veidt could only act with his eyes due to the dental appliances that forced his face into a ghastly grin. Veidt's make-up made such a strong impression that his Gwynplaine would eventually become immortalized in popular culture as the villainous Joker in the Batman comics. Mary Philbin is touching the blind Dea. As a spoiled Duchess who is both drawn and repulsed by Gwynplaine, Olga Baclanova (who looks amazingly like Madonna in this flick) brings a strong sexual tension to her role. As the evil jester-adviser who is responsible for our hero's plight, Brandon Hurst successfully embodies a perverse mix of humor and evil. This film moves at good clip, while telling its masterful story. Folks who have read the book, may not take kindly to the "happy" ending of the film. Nevertheless, this is a wonderful adaptation of Hugo's work and is definitely worth recommending.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rediscovering a Universal 'Super-Jewel', December 31, 2003

By 

Raymond Tucker (Zombie Swamp, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Paul Leni's The Man Who Laughs (DVD)

My previous exposure to Paul Leni's 'The Man Who Laughs' probably coincides with the experience of many others: the knowledge that the central figure was the inspiration for Bob Kane's villain The Joker and a number of atomspheric stills printed time and again in magazines such as Famous Monsters of Filmland. When I learned that Kino would be releasing this on dvd I eagerly awaited viewing it. What I expected was a good film and an interesting addition to the Universal's horror classics. What I received far surpassed my highest expectations. This is a masterful piece of cinematic art. Every aspect from camera work and set design to screen performance (the scenes with Conrad Veidt and Mary Philbin are magical) secure this film a seat alongside other great silent films such as Sunrise or Metropolis. From the opening scenes in the royal boudoir and secret torture chambers I was captivated. Each minute brought new characters, some beautifully sad, some contemptibly corrupt, but always fascinating, their expressions superbly captured by the silent camera. I cannot recommend this film highly enough.