One snowy day, Ursus, a performer in a travelling troupe, comes upon two orphans called Gwynplaine and Dea who are raised as a brother and a sister. After growing up, they fall in love with each other. As they join the troupe, Gwynplaine, who has a scar around his mouth, plays the role of a "smiling man" and Dea, a blind girl, plays the role of the woman who loves him. It's been a while since festival screens have seen such a traditional epic; the film is based on the original story by France's great writer Victor Hugo and is commensurate with other French epics including <The Red and the Black> and <Les Miserables> in terms of its actors and scale. The unique atmosphere of the circus harmonizes with the romance of the couple, offering unimaginably fun and touching moments with a beautiful sense of visual lyricism, innocence and youth. It is also great to watch the acting of Gerard Depardieu who is well known in Korea for his roles in films like <Cyrano de Bergerac>, <The Return of Martin Guerre> and <The Visitors>. (RHEE, Soue-won)