Synopsis
The Man Who Laughs (L'homme qui rit, 2012) — watch online on iFILM — is a French-Czech historical drama directed by Jean-Pierre Améris, drawn from Victor Hugo's 1869 novel. Gérard Depardieu plays Ursus, a wandering healer; Marc-André Grondin is Gwynplaine, whose face was disfigured in childhood so that it is locked in a permanent grin; Christa Théret is Déa, blind since birth, who loves him without ever having seen what makes others flinch.
Ursus sheltered both orphans during a winter storm and raised them as family. Years on, Gwynplaine's face turns him into a sideshow draw — crowds pay to gawk at the frozen smile — and the money and attention start pulling the three of them apart. Améris shoots it quietly, almost without music in places, which fits Hugo's darkest novel. The cruelty lands harder for the restraint. Stream The Man Who Laughs (2012) on iFILM.
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