In 1690, the despot king of England murders a defiant nobleman and orders his son’s face disfigured into a hideous permanent smile, forcing him to “laugh forever at his fool of a father.” The boy is taken in by a traveling carnival and falls in love with a blind girl. Eventually, his true identity is revealed, and he is once again embroiled in nefarious royal dealings.
The Man
Who Laughs(1928; 110 min; Silent)
Directed by Paul Leni
Fri, Dec 9, 6:30–9 pm
Leslie Cheek Theater
$8 (VMFA members $5)
Adapted from a Victor Hugo novel, this extraordinary silent film relates to VMFA’s Jasper Johns and Edvard Munch exhibition in its iconic and moody German Expressionist style.
Image: Universal Pictures
Educational programming for Jasper Johns and Edvard Munch: Love, Loss, and the Cycle of Life is generously supported by the Robert Lehman Foundation.
The Man Who Laughs
Fri, Dec 9, 6:30–9 pm
Leslie Cheek Theater