This research develops knowledge of the relationship between faces and communication and an understanding of the role faces play in culture and society. It is the first article in English to consider Deleuze's theorisation of faces. The research asks what the significance of Gilles Deleuze's theorisations of the face and faciality are. How does Deleuze's approach differ from traditional conceptions of the face? Against the notion that faces communicate subjective states, the article argues that rather than being communicative, faces open up the possibility of communication. The article mixes analyses of film with examples from literature and art history. Some of the arguments of the article are utilised in a response piece published in the Journal of Visual Culture 3(3) 2004. As this piece is a critique of an article published by Mark B N Hansen, Hansen publised a reply in the same issue. This article is cited by AS Rai in an article in Cultural Studies 18 (4), July 2004. RAE_import_type : Journal article RAE_uoa_type : LICA