In the middle of a winter storm, Ursus, a travelling salesman, saves two orphans who have been lost in the swirling snow and howling winds: Gwynplaine, a young boy who has been facially disfigured with a scar which makes him look like hes constantly smiling, and Dea, a young blind girl. Many years later, when both are grown, the adoptive family travel together and put on a show where Gwynplaine has become a star. People come from all around to see The Man Who Laughs, as he entertains them with his unique comic talents. This success begins to open doors for Gwynplaine and brings him celebrity and riches, but at the same time distances him from the two people he has always loved most in the world, Dea and Ursus. Based on the classic best-selling book from Victor Hugo, the man who brought Les Miserables to the world.