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 in childhood to bandits known as... comprachicos, who turned the child into 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 entertained their owners and guests, and the activities of the comprachicos were sometimes even encouraged. Despite all the trials, Gwynplaine retained the best human qualities and his love. One of the famous adaptations is the silent film from 1928 directed by Paul Leni, in which the classic ending of the novel is replaced by a happy ending.