In the middle of a harsh winter, Ursus, a colorful carnival boss, rescues two orphans lost in a storm: Gwynplaine, a young boy whose face is deformed by a scar that makes him look as though he's constantly laughing, and Déa, a blind girl. A few years later, they travel throughout the land, performing a show of which Gwynplaine is the star.
People come everywhere to see The Man Who Laughs; he makes people laugh and enthralls the crowd. Success opens doors to the young man, he becomes famous and rich, thus distancing himself from the only two people in the world who love him for what he is.