Elena and Her Men

In fin de siècle Paris, Elena believes the daisies she gives her boyfriends help them achieve their ambitions. She treats lovers as stepping stones and moves on when a man achieves success. This pattern foreshadows how she will later use relationships to influence politics and power.

Elena ends her relationship with a composer who has just learned his opera will be staged at La Scala. She leaves him without lingering emotions and quickly redirects her attention to other prospects. The breakup shows her willingness to drop partners once they achieve success.

Elena's aunt informs her family has run out of money, forcing Elena to accept marriage to Martin-Michaud, a wealthy older shoe manufacturer. The arrangement promises security for her family at the cost of personal freedom. Elena agrees to save her clan despite personal reluctance.

During a Bastille Day celebration, Elena meets the dashing Count Henri de Chevincourt. Sparks fly between them, setting up a tension-filled romance. The encounter also introduces the possibility of competing affections with General Rollan.

Henri introduces Elena to General François Rollan, who is immediately taken with her. Elena's charm draws both men toward her, while Henri and Paulette pursue their own plans. The meeting places Elena at the center of a growing political intrigue.

Elena finds herself torn between her vow to Martin-Michaud, her feelings for Henri, and her admiration for the General. Rollan's political advisers view Elena's influence as a potential lever for steering him toward power. Henri manipulates Elena into helping with the plot to move Rollan toward favorable policies. Elena agrees to assist, hoping to safeguard her interests.

Henri convinces Elena to help with the coup plot by guiding Rollan toward political power, promising policies favorable to Elena's business. Elena agrees to assist, leveraging her influence over the General. The alliance deepens the intertwining of romance and politics.

Elena advises the General on resolving a diplomatic dispute between France and Germany, and the General's successful move boosts his popularity. Her guidance helps shape the government's foreign policy image. The public's favorable view strengthens Rollan's political capital.

Elena and Henri dine together, savoring their complex relationship. Henri reveals that his greatest ambition is to do nothing at all, a remark that unsettles Elena about his true intentions. The moment deepens the ambiguity of their alliance.

Worried by rumors of a coup, the French government assigns General Rollan to a remote post in Bourbon-Salins. The move isolates him from Paris and from direct political influence. Elena's position now straddles a growing distance between the General and his core power base.

On election day, Elena arrives in Bourbon-Salins where the General has been placed under house arrest. He escapes confinement to be with her, defying the political constraints around him. The escape sets the stage for a dramatic confrontation with the authorities.

As word spreads that the General has won the election, pro-government police and supporters surround the brothel where Elena and the General hide. Henri enters with a plan to help the General slip past the police, coordinating with Elena's positioning inside. The tense standoff tests loyalties and improvisation under pressure.

The General and Henri switch clothes so Elena and Henri can stand in a window while the General escapes. He then discovers Paulette waiting in the wagon and impulsively agrees to abandon his political obligations and go with her to the south of France. The political career gives way to a personal choice for love.

Back at the brothel, Henri suggests that Elena and he pretend to kiss to calm the crowd outside, and the staged kiss becomes real. The moment blends political tension with intimate passion. The scene cements Elena's entanglement in both romance and revolution.