Miguel Strogoff, O Mensageiro do Czar

This is another Italian version of Jules Verne's most dramatic novel 14 years after the great spectacular one of 1956 with Curd Jurgens as Strogoff. This version is more modest and more intimate and personal, but it has tampered a considerable deal with the original novel, without making the story better, rather the contrary, as is usually the case. However it begins interesting enough with the career of Ivan Ogareff, explaining why he became a rebel and traitor, and it is a stroke of ingenuity to make him quite handsome, actually vying with the good looks of John Philip Law as Strogoff, who all the same is better and more convincing as Strogoff than the bulky Curd Jurgens in the earlier version. This is less spectacular, but it nevertheless has some grand cavalry and battle scenes, although they come late at the battle of Irkutsk fought outside the city, ignoring all Jules Verne's intrigues inside the city. It is not a better version than the previous one, but they complement each other, and Mimsy Farmer makes a great performance as a more complex character of Nadia. Also here the music is beautiful, but the older version remains more impressive for its more spectacular preferences.

It is a rendition about Jules Vernes book that was exhibited with the same title of the original novel , based on the famed novella titled Mikhail Strogoff , courier of the Czar . The film actually close to the story , that is one the best works of Vernes . It concerns about the Tartars have overrun the Russian empire's Eastern Siberian territories and creating a serious threat . Our handsome hero , a highly respected official named Michael Strogoff (John Phip Law) is assigned a dangerous mission , carrying a secret message across frozen landscapes . CZar asks him for going and hand over an important letter to his beloved brother , the great Duke , located in Irkursk . Meanwhile , an official named Ogareff (Hiram Keller) who was originally in the Czar's service but is nowadays on the side of Tartars . Strogoff journeys across old Russia along with a pair of journalists and exiled of Tartars invasion . Meantime , he falls in love for a beautiful woman named Nadja (Mimsy Farmer) who heads to Siberia for reunion with her husband . The traitor Ogarek is now the employee of the Khan and his mission turns out to be the chasing the courier of the Czar . Strogoff is captured by Ogarek and spies (Delia Boccardo) of the Khan . He is whip-tortured with his naked torso in front of his mummy (Elisabeth Bergner) and blinded with a red hot iron blade in some sequences make a strong impression . Later on , his punishment for not cooperation , he is released and Nadja helps successfully Strogoff from having to lose his eyesight .

The film contains agreeable performances with curious characters , spectacular locations and wonderful costumes wearing woolly suits and hats . Besides , displaying spectacular battles , horse charges , great scenarios and impressive final confrontation between Czar and Khan troops . In the movie appears known actors with wide and successful careers : John Philip Law gives a good role as Strogoff , he was during his splendor time , as it was realised in his best time (Hawaiians , Barbarella , Diabolik , Red Baron , Golden voyage of Simbad , Love machine) ; Mimsy Farmer as the enticing Nadja , she played several Italian terror films (4 flies on grey velvet , Autopsy , Black cat) ; Delia Boccardo as the treacherous Sanganre , she played films of all kinds of genres , and still continues playing (Secret of Sahara , Assisi underground , Tentacles , Aphrodite) ; Hiran Keller as the villainous Ogareff , he died by cancer at 53 years old , and starred various films (Fellini-Satiricon , Lifespan and Orlando Furioso) and Elisabeth Bergner as the suffering mother expressing sensitive human emotion , she's a classic player from the silent cinema and starred many successes( Catherina the Great , especially).

Other versions about this known tale are the first in 1936 and 1937 starred by Anton Wallbrook and directed by Richard Echber and George Nichols , the classic version 1956 with Curd Jurgens and Sylva Koscina and his sequel with Jurgens and Capucine. Plus , the television adaptations , German miniseries 1975 with Raimund Harmstorf , and 1999 by Fabricio Costa with Paolo Seganti and Lea Bosco and 2004 a French version with Anthony Delon . Furthermore , some TV cartoon movies .

With this new Jules Verne film adaptation by Eriprando VISCONTI, the German producer Artur BRAUNER tried to build on past cinema successes with his CCC Film in 1971. But the costume film remained too stiff and lacking tension for that. The then popular young stars John Phillip LAW, Mimsy FARMER, Delia BOCCARDO and Hiram KELLER did not generate enough enthusiasm.

What is interesting, however, is that Elisabeth BERGNER (1897-1986), who was born in Vienna, is there as Michael Strogoff's mother, a big star from a long time ago. In the 1930s, in 1936 to be precise, BERGNER even received an ACADEMY AWARD nomination for her performance in the film ESCAPE ME NEVER (1935) and was considered one of the most important film actresses of her generation. Her small role in this rather mediocre film is a reminder of that.