The action of the film takes place in the mid-19th century. The main character of the film is Małgorzata Gautier, a Parisian courtesan, known for showing up at opera performances with a bouquet of white or red camellias. After the death of the woman, all her properties are auctioned. Alexander Dumas, who is a writer, buys a book that used to belong to Małgorzata. A few days later, a man named Armand Duval, for whom the purchase of the writer is an extremely valuable souvenir, pays him a visit. It turns out that Duval was a lover of Małgorzata but their relationship ended tragically. An unusual guest decides to tell the writer the dramatic story of their love.