TMWLs - Love is Blind

Ok, first of all I have ~AdAbsurdum to thank for this, as she reminded me of this wonderful story with a lovely piece of her own.

This is Gwynplaine and Dea from The Man Who Laughs, a lesser known and terribly overlooked story of Victor Hugo's. It was the subject of an old silent film starring Conrad Veidt back in 1928 and it was Conrad's makeup for Gwynplaine that inspired the look of The Joker.

The basic overview of the story is this; as his father's punishment, Gwynplaine has a horrific Glasgow Smile (a permanent grin, made by cutting the corners of the mouth from ear to ear) carved into his face as a boy by order of a king. He is later abandoned and whilst battling against the cold finds Dea, a blind baby still clinging to her mother's dead body. The two end up in the care of a traveling mountebank named Ursus and his wolf Homo (named after homo homini lupus), and Gwynplaine later becomes 'The Laughing Man' and central attraction.

Despite the fact that everyone laughs at him when they see his smile, Dea sees Gwynplaine for who he is inside and the two fall in love. Ever ashamed of his looks though, Gwynplaine is reluctant to let her feel his face and Dea is under the impression that he is always happy because he is always smiling. The ending of the book is heartbreaking, but the film thankfully makes you feel a tad happier!

I can't tell you how much I love these characters and as this just doesn't get the attention it deserves, I beg you to watch the film: [link] and/or read the book here: [link] Conrad is amazing in this role and if you do watch the film, be sure to watch his eyes. They are so expressive and I think that's hugely important here.

(Artwork © Leona Preston 2010 / ‘The Man Who Laughs’ © Victor Hugo)


_{Please remember to respect my Copyrights!}