Cousin Bette is a French historical drama film based on the novel of the same name by Honoré de Balzac. The film is set in Paris in the mid-19th century, during the reign of Louis-Philippe. It explores the themes of love, jealousy, and revenge through the story of Bette Fischer, a spinster seamstress who harbors a burning resentment against her wealthy and oblivious relatives, the Hulots.
After the death of her sister Adeline, Bette tries to gain the favor of her brother-in-law, Baron Hulot, hoping that he will help her secure a better life for herself. However, Hulot is selfish and uninterested in Bette's plight, and instead focuses on his own pleasures and affairs. Hortense, Bette's niece, is a young and innocent girl who is being courted by the wealthy and handsome Wenceslas Steinbock, a young sculptor who is struggling to make ends meet. Bette takes pity on Wenceslas and helps him by lending him money and introducing him to the famous courtesan Jenny Cadine, who becomes his mistress.
Bette becomes increasingly jealous of the happiness and success of her niece and her former protégé. After Wenceslas falls out of favor with the Hulots and leaves Paris, Bette returns to her old ways and plots revenge against the Hulot family. With Jenny's help, she exposes the Baron's affairs and drives him to financial ruin. She also causes a scandal by revealing Wenceslas's past relationship with Jenny, which ruins his reputation and drives Hortense to despair.
In the end, Bette is left alone and bitter, having lost all her loved ones and suffered the consequences of her own actions. The film's bleak ending reflects Balzac's pessimistic view of human nature, where jealousy and resentment can consume even the most vulnerable and sympathetic characters.