A rare screening of the darkly romantic swashbuckler which inspired The Joker
The film
A cruel king has a young boy stolen away in the dead of night and has his face carved into a permanent grin, as a punishment for his father's misdeeds. Cast out from society, Gwynplaine grows up to work as a carnival sideshow performer, his disfigurement drawing crowds who come to gawp at his unsettling appearance.
Based on Victor Hugo's novel, The Man Who Laughs blends gruesome horror, dark romance and swashbuckling adventure. Conrad Veidt brings the same magnetic intensity to the screen that he displayed in The Cabinet of Dr Caligari eight years earlier - and his performance went on to inspire the striking look of the Joker, Batman's arch-enemy.
The music
Two of the UK’s leading silent film improvisers, pianist Jonny Best and cellist Liz Hanks, will create a live score.
Liz performs regularly with a wide range of artists, from Richard Hawley and Pulp to Thea Gilmore and Jasdeep Singh Degun. Her debut solo album, Land, has been featured on Unclassified, Late Junction and Breakfast on BBC Radio 3, as well as The Folk Show on BBC Radio 2. Jonny is one of the UK's foremost silent-film pianists and the founder of Northern Silents.
Together, they'll weave a new soundscape and bring this striking film vividly to life.
Music: Jonny Best (piano) and Liz Hanks (cello)
Director: Paul Leni
Year: 1927
Country: USA
Length: 125 mins + interval
Screening courtesy of FPA Classics, France
