Description
Armand Duval, the son of a wealthy industrialist, arrives in Rome in the company of his worldly cousin Gaston. At a society party, he meets Marguerite Gautier, the beautiful, drug-addicted, openly unfaithful mistress of a wealthy elderly patron. Hopelessly infatuated, Armand ignores Marguerite's notorious reputation and begs her to accept his love.
She does, but she continues to have liaisons with other men, including DeVarville, a wealthy young nobleman from whom she accepts money. Shocked by her behavior, Armand now demands absolute fidelity, and Marguerite, steadily weakening from the effect of drugs and tiring of her senseless pleasure-seeking, yields to his wish. To celebrate their reconciliation, the couple travel to a small coastal town in the south of France for an idyllic interlude.
Their brief happiness is shattered when Armand's father secretly visits Marguerite and convinces her that she is ruining his son's life. Marguerite stages an argument and coldly announces that she is returning to DeVarville. Filled with despair, Armand retaliates by beginning a flamboyant affair with a boutique model, Olympe, and even makes passionate love to her at an orgiastic party while in the presence of Marguerite.
Then, at a subsequent society party, he humiliates Marguerite before the guests by flinging money at her and calling her a whore. Prior to his departure for America, Armand catches a chance remark made by his father and suddenly understands the motives for Marguerite's behavior. By now, however, the drugs have taken their toll and Marguerite is dying of an overdose in a nearby hospital. Armand reaches her in time to reaffirm his love, and Marguerite, begging forgiveness, dies in his arms.
