---
product_id: 206241396
title: "THE MAN WHO LAUGHS (Masters of Cinema) Blu-ray"
brand: "conrad veidtmary philbinpaul leni"
price: "€ 42.35"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.fi/products/206241396-the-man-who-laughs-masters-of-cinema-blu-ray
store_origin: FI
region: Finland
---

# THE MAN WHO LAUGHS (Masters of Cinema) Blu-ray

**Brand:** conrad veidtmary philbinpaul leni
**Price:** € 42.35
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** THE MAN WHO LAUGHS (Masters of Cinema) Blu-ray by conrad veidtmary philbinpaul leni
- **How much does it cost?** € 42.35 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.fi](https://www.desertcart.fi/products/206241396-the-man-who-laughs-masters-of-cinema-blu-ray)

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- conrad veidtmary philbinpaul leni enthusiasts

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## Description

One of the most visually striking of all the later silent films, The Man Who Laughs reunites German Expressionism director Paul Leni and cinematographer Gilbert Warrenton from their horror hit the previous year, The Cat and the Canary (1927). Both films are often considered to be among the earliest works of legendary horror classics from Universal Studios, yet the undeniably eerie The Man Who Laughs is more accurately described as a Gothic melodrama. However, its influence on the genre and the intensity of the imagery art director Charles Hall and makeup genius Jack Pierce would go on to define the look of those 1930s Universal horror landmarks have redefined it as an early horror classic, bolstered by one of the most memorable performances of the period.  Adapted from the Victor Hugo novel, The Man Who Laughs is Gwynplaine (an extraordinary Conrad Veidt), a carnival sideshow performer in 17th-century England, his face mutilated into a permanent, ghoulish grin by his executed father's royal court enemies. Gwynplaine struggles through life with the blind Dea (Phantom of the Opera's Mary Philbin) as his companion though she is unable to see it, his disfigurement still causes Gwynplaine to believe he is unworthy of her love. But when his proper royal lineage becomes known by Queen Anne, Gwynplaine must choose between regaining a life of privilege, or embracing a new life of freedom with Dea.  The startling makeup on Veidt was the acknowledged direct inspiration for The Joker in the 1940 Batman comic that introduced the character, and film versions of The Joker have been even more specific in their references to Leni's film. While The Man Who Laughs contains powerful elements of tragedy, doomed romance, and even swashbuckling swordplay, its influence on horror cinema is most pronounced. Leni died suddenly at the age of 44 a year after this film (with Veidt also unexpectedly passing away too soon in 1943), and The Man Who Laughs endures as one of the most haunting and stylish American silent films, made just as that era was coming to a close. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present the film on home video for the first time ever in the UK.  BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:   1080p presentation on Blu-ray from Universal s 4K restorationUncompressed LPCM 2.0 (stereo) score by the Berklee School of MusicUncompressed LPCM 2.0 (mono) 1928 movietone scoreA brand new interview with author and horror expert Kim NewmanA brand new video essay by David Cairns and Fiona WatsonPaul Leni and "The Man Who Laughs"  featurette on the production of the filmRare stills galleryA collector s booklet featuring new writing by Travis Crawford, and Richard Combs  PRESS:   "The Man Who Laughs is a truly great, a devastatingly beautiful film. " TIME Magazine  "One of the final treasures of German silent Expressionism. " Roger Ebert  "Leni's pictorial genius -- aided here by what must have been an enormous budget -- marks the film as one of the most exhilarating of late silent cinema. " Time Out

## Product Details

- **Genre:** Horror
- **Format:** Blu-ray, Dubbed, NTSC, PAL, THX
- **Contributor:** Conrad VEIDT, Mary PHILBIN, Paul LENI
- **Runtime:** 1 hour and 50 minutes
- **Number of discs:** 1

## Images

![THE MAN WHO LAUGHS (Masters of Cinema) Blu-ray - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91NgWeZF9yL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐ 







  
  
    The Man Who Laughs
  

*by J***M on Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 March 2021*

*2 and a half out of 5*The Criterion Challenge9. A silent filmA late 20’s cult favourite silent film. Set in the 18th century, The Man Who Laughs follows Gwynplaine (Conrad Veidt). Disfigured by a king as a child, he again becomes the pawn of royalty and star of the freak show of a travelling carnival.There is no doubt that the film is most known for inspiring the appearance of one of (if not) pop culture’s most iconic villains: the Joker. As well as the similarities between it and 2019’s Joker and getting a fantastic re-release by Eureka. The film boasts immersive sets and costumes, an impressive lead performance and a very fitting orchestral score. However it also features a largely dull, plodding, weak romance plot and largely uninteresting characters.A lot of people seem to immediately assume that The Man Who Laughs is a horror film. This is understandable as the marketing and memorable images are largely centred on the haunting pained grin of the protagonist and morbid shadow heavy iconography. Outside of a couple of shots and scenes, this is no horror film. It’s actually a melodramatic romance, which unfortunately failed to hold my attention and investment.The carnival centric sequences are the most engaging and atmospheric set pieces of the film. When the royal, heritage drama comes into play and weak romance take centre stage the film loses its quirky mystique and becomes like a typical period melodrama. At just under 2 hours I feel the film is simply too long for its material and the restrictions of the silent era don’t help with the engagement of the characters and dialogue.Visually the film is superb. The era is caught perfectly. From the riotous atmosphere of the carnival, the gargantuan and wealthy castles, and the garish prosthesis effects to achieve Gwynplaine’s now iconic grin. The shadows and lighting craft some impressive shots and there is some creative editing for the time.Conrad Veidt gives a brilliant lead performance. Perfectly capturing the tragedy, sorrow and pain of the protagonist and utilising his eyes and body language to convey emotions. Unfortunately the rest of the cast of characters aren’t particularly interesting or memorable. Olga Baclanova is probably the most notable though as the giggling, manipulative and strong presenced Duchess.The Man Who Laughs is a film I appreciate but didn’t enjoy. The visual style, impressive technical elements for the era and central performance are all strong. It’s simply the shuffling story pacing, the narrative itself, no real tangible thrills in the brief horror moments and lack of character substance and emotional investment all work to let it down for me personally. The Eureka blu-ray art is fantastic though as is the restoration.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    good bluray
  

*by M***G on Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 August 2022*

Conrad Veidt excellent as always. Good picture quality for a film nearly a 100 years old. Historical romance drama about a disfigured man.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Glorious
  

*by P***S on Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 July 2021*

This is - as you'd expect from the Masters of Cinema series - a brilliantly restored film. It's possible to sit back and enjoy this without once being distracted by jerky edits or similar drops in quality. Instead, you get to focus on the film itself, and find a visually stunning and emotionally moving piece of cinema. You don't have to be a film buff to enjoy this, it's genuinely engaging in its own right.

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*Product available on Desertcart Finland*
*Store origin: FI*
*Last updated: 2026-03-10*