FILM FILM - University of Macau Library

44 Transition and Transformation
In addition to this, Bengt Forslund also argues that there is a resemblance
between He Who Gets Slapped and the heroes that he both directed and acted
during his Swedish career in A Man There Was and The Outlaw and His
Wife. Both characters are cheated as they try to do what is right, and they have
to leave their dear ones behind and fight alone for their human rights. 2 In any
case, Sjöström decided to sign a new contract with MGM, and immediately
started working on the script himself. He Who Gets Slapped is the only film
from the American period for which Sjöström actually wrote the entire script,
though he was obviously involved in later revisions of the script concerning
other films as well. 3 In the case of He Who Gets Slapped, staff writer Carey
Wilson finalized the script and received equal credit for the work with Sjöström,
which greatly irritated Sjöström according to Arne Lunde. 4
In this chapter, I will first outline some examples of media and paratexts surrounding
He Who Gets Slapped. From this general cultural-historical perspective,
I will move on to a close textual reading, departing from a short discussion
of Sjöström as Hollywood scriptwriter and moving on to tracing his presence as
narrator in the work, both textually and visually: through intertitles adding to
the original text of the play, and through symbolic images of the key figure of
the clown. In analyzing the use of one of Sjöström’s preferred devices, the dissolve,
in this film, the argument of transformation as both a stylistic and a thematic
key figure in his work is further developed. But the various possible implications
of the circus theme are just as important, from Arne Lunde’s reading
of the film as a performance of “whiteface” to a more general emphasis on circus
films, for which I will argue, and finally looking into the afterlife of the film
in a Swedish context. Here, the basic plot with the circus as an arena where
questions of life, love and death may be performed stands out as an exemplary
case study from Sjöström’s Hollywood career, with far-ranging connections.
The story of the film is as follows: Paul Beaumont (Lon Chaney), a scientist
working on his dissertation on the origin of mankind, only cares for his work
and his wife. His patron Baron Regnard (Marc MacDermott), however, doubly
betrays him: as the dissertation is about to be defended, the Baron claims the
results as his own and it turns out that he has not only stolen Beaumont’s career,
but also his wife. The Baron slaps him in the face and his wife calls him “fool”
and “clown”. This turns out to be decisive for what is to come; he transforms
himself into a clown called “He”. This “He” –according to Lewis’ script outline
–“has a brilliant notion he will make the groundlings laugh by being slapped
and his name will simply be He-He, Who Gets Slapped”. 5 In his new role, in
telling obvious truths to the audience and being constantly slapped, “He” enjoys
great public success. Five years later, Consuelo (Norma Shearer), the
daughter of a ruined Italian count (Tully Marshall), has joined the circus. “He”
falls in love with her, but she in turn is in love with Benzano (John Gilbert) at