The Man Who Laughs

The action of Victor Hugo's novel "The Man Who Laughs" takes place in England at the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th centuries. Gwynplaine, a lord by birth, was sold to bandit compradore as a child, who made the boy a fairground jester by carving a mask of "eternal laughter" on his face. At the courts of European nobility of that time, there was a fashion for cripples and freaks who amused their masters and guests; the activities of compradore were sometimes even encouraged. Despite all the trials, Gwynplaine maintained the best human qualities and his love. One of the famous adaptations is the silent film of 1928 directed by Paul Leni, in which the classic ending of the novel is replaced with a happy ending.