To this day, only a select few of people, even amongst the most passionate die-hard superhero comics fans and “connaisseurs“, seem to be aware that Batman‘s tragicomic arch-nemesis, the Joker, finds his original inspiration in a literary work—a work by the same author of les Misérables, Victor Hugo, of all people!
Dans un roman (in a novel) published in 1869, where the action takes place in l’Angleterre (England), at the turn of the 18th century, Victor Hugo introduces us to yet another personnage imaginaire (fictional character), to whom he lent the rather peculiar name of “Gwynplaine”
Victor Hugo’s “L’Homme qui rit” (“The Man Who Laughs”) was the subject of an early American cinematographic adaptation, directed by Paul Leni in 1928, which was to supply the direct basis for Batman’s arch-enemy character “The Joker”
Reminiscent in many ways of Hugo’s “Baroque characters” (remember that the word Baroque reflects an idea of asymmetry and deformity), such as Quasimodo, of Notre-Dame de Paris fame, or Han d’Islande, the Norwegian character starring in Hugo’s very first work, Gwynplaine is a man afflicted with a facial distortion, exhibiting some sort of a constant ludicrous grin. A disfiguring condition which serves him only too well when it comes to distracting les plus puissants (the most powerful) leaders of his country.
A commoner, un homme du peuple (a man of the people) who grew up among the poor and the less fortunate of his society, Gwynplaine finds himself suddenly, et par hasard (and by chance), the host of the House of the Lords!
Needless to say, a most favorable chance for him to deliver a certain “message” to their most illustrious lordships…
Eighty years after its release, Paul Leni’s silent movie has in turn “inspired” Rob Zombie’s song “The Man Who Laughs” (Hellbilly Deluxe 2, 2010)
* En voici un extrait (here is an excerpt):
“Je représente l’humanité telle que ses maîtres l’ont faite. L’homme est
“I represent humanity such as its masters rendered it. Man is
un mutilé. Ce qu’on m’a fait, on l’a fait au genre humain.
mutilated. What was done to me, was done to humankind.
On lui a déformé le droit, la justice, la vérité, la raison, l’intelligence,
Its right was distorted, and so were its justice, truth, reason, and intelligence;
comme à moi les yeux, les narines et les oreilles ; comme à moi,
the same way was done to my eyes, nostrils and ears; like me,
on lui a mis au coeur un cloaque de colère et de douleur, et sur la face
a cesspit of anger and grief was set into its heart, and on the face
un masque de contentement. Où s’était posé le doigt, de Dieu,
a mask of satisfaction. Where once laid the finger of God
s’est appuyée la griffe du roi. Monstrueuse superposition. Évêques, pairs et
leans the claw of the king. Monstrous superposition. Bishops, peers and
princes, le peuple c’est le souffrant profond qui rit à la surface.
princes, the people are the deep sufferers who laugh on the surface.
Mylords, je vous le dis, le peuple, c’est moi. Aujourd’hui vous l’opprimez,
Mylords, I tell you, the people, it’s me. Today you oppress them,
aujourd’hui vous me huez. Mais l’avenir, c’est le dégel sombre. Ce qui était
today you boo me. But the future will bring a dark thaw. That which was once
pierre devient flot. L’apparence solide se change en submersion.
a rock shall turn into flood. The appearance of solidity will change into a submersion.
Un craquement, et tout est dit. Il viendra une heure où une convulsion brisera
A crack, and it will all be over. The time will come when a convulsion will break
votre oppression, où un rugissement répliquera à vos huées.
your oppression, when a roar will reply to your boos.
[...] 
Tremblez. Les incorruptibles solutions approchent, les ongles coupés
Tremble therefore. The incorruptible solutions are neigh, the nails that were cut
repoussent, les langues arrachées s’envolent, et deviennent des langues de feu
are growing back, the tongues that were torn are flying away, becoming tongues of fire
éparses au vent des ténèbres, et hurlent dans l’infini ; ceux qui ont faim
scattered in the winds of darkness, and howling into the infinite space; those who are starving
montrent leurs dents oisives, les paradis bâtis sur les enfers chancellent,
show their idle teeth, the heavens built upon hells are tottering,
on souffre, on souffre, on souffre, et ce qui est en haut penche,
People are suffering, suffering, suffering, and what is on top is tilting,
et ce qui est en bas s’entrouvre, l’ombre demande à devenir lumière,
and what is below is parting, shadow demands to become light,
le damné discute l’élu,
the damned questions the elect,
c’est le peuple qui vient, vous dis-je, c’est l’homme qui monte,
It’s the people coming, I tell you, it’s mankind rising,
c’est la fin qui commence, c’est la rouge aurore de la catastrophe,
It’s the end that begins, it’s the red daybreak of the catastrophe,
et voilà ce qu’il y a dans ce rire, dont vous riez !”
And that is what is within this laughter, of which you laugh!”
