L'homme qui rit

Barrandov Studios studio filmed version from newly prominent Améris, (Les émotifs anonymes ) ignores the Paggliacci element of the Victor Hugo story. We edge instead into Tim Burton territory. The red of the lamp reflected on the sail as the one warm patch in the grey frame, the sinister black and gold family mansion and the red and white of the Court are extraordinary feats of design.

Depardieu gets one of his bets outings in the traveling showman role, taking the disfigured boy and blind girl to the carnival, soon contrasting the sympathetic fairground and the stone hearted nobles.

Only a marginal connection to any reality but the film's mesmerising look dominates performances and story and makes this one of the more notable films of the moment.

I miss Conrad Veidt, Cesare Gravina and Josephine Cowl but his lot have created their own space.