Plot: Gwynplaine has to live with a permanent grin on his face. It's the result of his father's deceit, a crime Gwynplaine had to pay for. He travels with a circus, together with some other freaks, and despite his popularity, he lives an unfulfilling life. Things change when he falls in love with Dea, a blind girl.
Watches
November 10, 2023
An interesting silent, that seems to reference German Expressionist cinema. It's not quite as captivating and the lead character is a little iffy, but the setting is pretty atmospheric, and even though the film is almost two hours long, it never felt as if things were stretched too thin.
Gwynplaine looks more goofy than he looks scary or tragic, which hurts his character and the tragedy that befalls him, but other than that the story was decent enough. It's a long film if you're not used to silent cinema, but the pacing is proper, the cinematography is moody and the romance is proper.