Customer Reviews

Cousin Bette

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

In the early 1970's I watched this Masterpiece Theater's presentation of "Cousin Bette" which is based on that wonderful novel "Cousin Bette" by the French author Balzac. I can remember that this Masterpiece Theater production was considered by many very controversial mainly due to the sexual nature of the story (in fact, there were those that tried to cut-off the government funding to PBS because of this show); however, now, as then, I find it just very engrossing as is the novel. Since the 1970's, I've desired for it to be released commercially. Now, the powers that be, have finally released it on DVD. I'm thrilled because it is a most wonderful presentation that is filled with fabulous performances by especially Margaret Tyzack as Cousin Bette and a very young Helen Mirren, as Valerie.

In a "tour de force" performance, Margaret Tyzack is simply fabulous as the vengeful and supposedly homely Cousin Bette who is the poor relative to her, sort of, snooty but stupid cousins Mariette Hulot (played wonderfully by Margaret Boyd) and Celestine Hulot. She always appears to appreciate her "better off" Cousins' tolerance (and "cast offs") towards her while, at the same time, she resents it like hell and wants to see them and the rest of her "better off" and stupid relatives in the preverbal gutter and in ruins. After suffering the extreme humiliation involving a handsome young art apprentice that she has rescued and has become very fond of and that her cousin Celestine, more or less, "steals" from her, she is out for their "blood" and wants to see them destroyed and by god she'll have her way no matter what or who is trampled on and/or killed. Helen Mirren also turns in a `knock them dead" performance, as Valerie who is young and cute and more than willing to use her "sexuality" to better herself and is very willing to be guided by Cousin Bette in her desire to ruin her dumb family. My understanding is that this role was at the very beginning of Mirren's career and obviously she has gone on to distinguish herself as one of today's leading actresses. Needless to say, Cousin Bette initially succeeds in destroying her family primarily because her cousin Mariette is married to Baron Hector Hulot a very stupid man with a keen weakness and an excessively "roving eye" towards the very young and very pretty ladies--Valerie fits the aforesaid criteria and Cousin Bette uses her to get her vengeance. My god Tyzack is good. Just my thinking about her in this role, sends chills up and down my spine! In fact, this presentation is filled with a lot of great acting.

Don't expect the quality of the picture, production and the reincarnation of the era to be up to today's standards; it was "state of the art" for the 70s (very strange wigs and all). Nevertheless, BBC has done a great job of bring it to the DVD format with very good sound and a very sharp and a clear picture. Believe me, you'll soon forget that this is an old presentation because the acting by ALL will astound you--it really is a fantastic presentation.

I remember watching this on TV in 1971 when I was about 15 ( I'm English ) and the thing I remember most about it was Helen Mirren getting her kit off. So when I saw it was finally out on DVD, I couldn't wait to buy it. What a disappointment, her nude scene has been cut! Why does this happen? Was the version shown on Masterpiece Theater censored for the American public? I would really like to know if there's the original version still knocking around showing Helen in all her naked glory. Does anyone know if it still exists? Anyway, apart from that, it's still great. Helen still plays the siren like only she can, and the rest of the cast are pretty good too. Some of the sets look a bit flimsy, but the costumes are superb. Worth the long, long wait.

The previous review anticipated all I wanted to express about this remarkable production. At times when it was first released, I found the plotting an annoyance. But the final thirty seconds of the title character's performance is absolutely priceless! I've been searching this program's availability in either delivery format for years, and am delighted to see it's ready at last.

Yes, I too have been waiting years for the DVD release of this fine adaptation of Balzac's "Cousin Bette."

A reviewer remarked about the 1970's production values, but do they really matter if the acting and the rhythm of the storytelling are first rate. Shakespeare's works needed very few props in the Globe Theatre, and I can only imagine how much better they were than today's melange of adaptations with their menagerie of props. Truth is, in these superficial, excessive times so akin to Bette's, production values have gone through the roof while adaptations with their intrusive, attention getting cinematography, grating music and modern colloquial language are in the cellar. It makes you wonder who let the children loose in the studio to do their class play.

Naturally there are exceptions, but I don't think it will ever be the same since the caliber of men like BBC's Sir Huw Wheldon are no longer with us and haven't been for some time. So those of us who literally grew up on the subtle literacy of these old productions and rarely articulate our disgust for the subordination of content to form in the current productions are pining for the next release.

As the saying goes, "From little acorns mighty oaks do grow." So Acorn, please take note and move right along on Henry James' "The Golden Bowl," Arthur Schnitzler's "Vienna 1900: Games With Love and Death," Lewis Grassic Gibbon's "Sunset Song" and Nevil Shute's "A Town Like Alice." We are waiting for another oak.

I got this from the library. If you haven't seen it yet, don't read, as this review contains spoilers. The sets were rather claustrophobic, as if no one ever went outside. Even the outside sets were obviously sets.

I thought this was a rather funny miniseries. I really couldn't take it seriously. The characters are in Paris, yet only one person has a French accent. Some of the courtesans even have Cockney accents. Cousin Bette is the poor relation all her life for some reason, even though she and her cousin Adeline were raised together as orphans. Adeline got everything, Bette got to do the drudge work. Now Bette is middle-aged (or older) and has discovered a young man who might make it as a sculptor, Wenceslas. She invests her savings in him (she has savings even though she's poor), and this goes on for several years. Then in an attempt to prove this sculptor's existence and win a yellow scarf from her cousin's daughter, Hortense, she unwittingly brings him into their midst...when she finds out Wenceslas and Hortense are engaged (behind her back! they have stolen him from her!) she blows a gasket. Which is understandable. She didn't seem to be in love with him, but he was something that she had all her own. Now the "rich" relatives have stolen even that from her. However, her young neighbor, Valerie Marneffe, tells her to simply turn things around to her liking, start using people, etc. Cousin Bette does, with a vengeance.

This is where the story becomes very unrealistic. Would this woman, at this age, suddenly know how to play games with peoples' lives and get her way every time? NO. Yet, she is suddenly an expert. Valerie, who has been married for several years and has a child, living with his grandmother (whose mother?), also at around this same time, suddenly begins to attract and manipulate every man she meets. Her own husband doesn't want her, yet gorgeous Brazilians and rich Parisians who could have anybody are dying to get with her...and even though they are many times all in the same room together, they NEVER know that she is sleeping with ALL of them. Yeah, right. When she supposedly gets pregnant, Cousin Bette gets two of the rich ones to put a bunch of francs in Valerie's name, for the coming child. Now, nobody is that stupid. They would wait until the baby was born, at least. Of course, Valerie "miscarries," but keeps all the money. Valerie, played by Helen Mirren (she looks like a baby!) is cute, but that's about it. Yet all men are putty in her hands.

One of the men, Hector Hulot, is the husband of Adeline, and supposedly going broke, yet he always has money to give Valerie. He even has money to set her up in her own house, even though he did not have enough money for that for his previous mistress. He is also somehow high up in the French government, but how? He is a complete simpleton. Also, the bottom of his feet, as he lies on Valerie's bed, are black with dirt!

Cousin Bette is pure evil and full of hatred - but there is not enough reason for it. She hates her Uncle Fischer for no other reason (that I could find stated) than that she thinks he is stupid. She talks Hulot into sending him to Algeria. None of these people are too good at thinking for themselves. So it's really a wonder they made it this far in life without Cousin Bette telling them what to do and when to do it. Suddenly, they believe she is an oracle, though before she was just a joke.

Most people in this miniseries have terrible, ridiculous hair. To where I just looked at their hair instead of their faces. Towards the end, I couldn't buy that Valerie would leave all her money to Hulot. What about her son?

For something to watch, it was okay, it was entertaining, but the story was simplistic and full of holes.

I was a freshman at college and had faithfully watched each episode on Sunday evenings. The night before my German final, they ran the entire series and I had to choose between studying and watching "Cousin Bette". Guess what won out? A fabulous, fabulous series, worth watching just for the last scene when "Bette", with the glance of an eye from her death bed, continues to destroy the family. This piece was my introduction to "Masterpiece Theater" and what a wonderful introduction it was!

It's wonderful finally to own this series. I've always wanted to. The acting, script, costumes--everyting outstanding. Margaret Tyzack of course shines, as does a young Helen Mirren. I'll watch this series over and over!

Very good and the film holds up to today's standards. Enjoyed the lead actors very much.

The story line was good but it felt like I was at the theater enjoying a stage production. I felt the characters overplayed their roles a bit too much. It didn't feel genuine to me. Very good story, though, perhaps I would enjoy the book better.

I'm having a difficult time getting into this film. The acting and settings seem stilted and the story moves slowly. I haven't given up on Cousin Bette, but I'm not excited about watching it soon.