Suez

In Paris, 1850, Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte uses social intrigue to shape romantic and political rivalries. He invites Eugenie de Montijo and Ferdinand de Lesseps to his reception to keep them within reach—and he engineers assigning the rival to a distant post in Egypt. De Lesseps, swept up in the moment, asks Eugenie to marry him, but she declines, shattering his hopes.

In Egypt, de Lesseps befriends Toni Pellerin and Prince Said, two key figures who will influence his fate. Toni openly falls for him, but he remains obsessed with Eugenie. The elder Count de Lesseps returns to France, leaving Ferdinand to take his place as the Consul-General.

After a brief rainstorm in the desert, de Lesseps sees water draining into the sea and conceives the Suez Canal as a practical path to connect continents. He decides to seek funding in Paris and invites Toni to accompany him. The moment marks the turning point from romance and duty to big engineering ambition.

Back in Paris, de Lesseps presents his canal proposal to Bonaparte but is rebuffed. He learns that Eugenie has become very close to Bonaparte, complicating his romantic pursuit. Toni accompanies him and shares his disappointment.

France teeters on civil war as Bonaparte faces off with the Assembly. Eugenie persuades Ferdinand de Lesseps to relay Bonaparte’s plan to disband the Assembly, promising to reconvene it after the unrest subsides. The Assembly reluctantly agrees, but the plan backfires as Bonaparte arrests the leaders and proclaims renewed power.

Napoleon III seizes the throne, and the elder Count de Lesseps suffers a fatal stroke on hearing the news. Ferdinand feels outraged but is persuaded by Toni to refrain from rash action. In return, Napoleon III withdraws objections to the canal, allowing construction to begin.

Construction progresses despite Turkish sabotage. Napoleon III’s support falters as Britain opposes the canal project for political reasons. De Lesseps travels to England to plead his case.

In Parliament, the British Prime Minister remains unmoved, but opposition leader Benjamin Disraeli shows enthusiasm for the canal. He tells De Lesseps to return to Egypt and hope for a Disraeli victory in the upcoming election. This turn eventually secures renewed funding commitments.

As the canal nears completion, a massive sandstorm endangers the project. Toni rescues De Lesseps by tying him to a wooden post, but she is swept away and killed. Her sacrifice remains a pivotal moment before the canal is finished.

De Lesseps finishes the canal and is honored by Eugenie, who has become Empress of France after marrying Napoleon III. The achievement cements his legacy and ties his fate to the imperial regime.