''Strogoff'' (French: ''Michel Strogoff, le courier du tsar''; Italian: ''Michele Strogoff, corriere dello zar''; German: ''Der Kurier des Zaren'') is a European

adventure film The adventure film is a broad genre of film. Some early genre studies found it no different than the Western film or argued that adventure could encompass all Hollywood genres. Commonality was found among historians Brian Taves and Ian Cameron in ...

directed in 1970 by

Eriprando Visconti Eriprando Visconti di Modrone, Visconti di Vimodrone, Modrone, Count of Vico Modrone (September 24, 1932 – May 26, 1995) was an Italian people, Italian film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was the nephew of the more famous Luchino ...

. It was an

international co-production A co-production is a joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint vent ...

between Italy, West Germany and France. It is based on

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

's 1876 novel ''

Michael Strogoff ''Michael Strogoff: The Courier of the Czar'' () is a novel written by Jules Verne in 1876 in literature, 1876. Critic Leonard S. Davidow, considers it one of Verne's best books. Davidow wrote, "Jules Verne has written no better book than this, ...

'' reinterpreted through the lens of

psychological realism In literature, psychological fiction (also psychological realism) is a narrative genre that emphasizes interior characterization and motivation to explore the spiritual, emotional, and mental lives of its characters. The mode of narration examin ...

Plot

Michael Strogoff, captain of the army of the

Tsar Alexander II Alexander II ( rus, Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, Aleksándr II Nikoláyevich, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ftɐˈroj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ; 29 April 181813 March 1881) was Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland fro ...

, is ordered to travel from

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

Irkutsk Irkutsk ( ; rus, Иркутск, p=ɪrˈkutsk; Buryat language, Buryat and , ''Erhüü'', ) is the largest city and administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. With a population of 587,891 Irkutsk is the List of cities and towns in Russ ...

, in

eastern Siberia Eastern Siberia is a part of Siberia that incorporates the territory located between the Yenisei River in the west and the Pacific Ocean divides in the east. Its area is equal to 7.2 million sq. km.Galina Samoylova (Г. С. Самойлова)В� ...

, to inform the Grand Duke Dmitry that the Tartar army is moving to conquer the city. He leaves for Siberia in civilian clothes, in the guise of a horse trader and under the false name of Nikolai Korpanov. At the same time Ivan Ogareff, a Russian ex-colonel, is freed from a prison camp by his lover Sangarre. He joins the insurgent Tartars led by Feofar- Khan and undertakes Strogoff's same journey to learn the purpose of the Tsar's courier's mission. During the journey Strogoff makes the acquaintance of Nadja Fëdorova, a young Latvian woman who intends to visit her husband Vasilij Fëdor, a military doctor kept in prison in Irkutsk due to his socialist ideals. Believing that he would arouse less suspicion, Strogoff decides to share the journey with her. During a stop in an

izba An izba ( rus, изба́, p=ɪzˈba, a=Ru-изба.ogg) is a traditional Russian countryside dwelling. Often a log house, it forms the living quarters of a conventional Russian farmstead. It is generally built close to the road and inside a Y ...

used as a place to rest and change horses, he meets Ogareff, in the uniform of a Russian officer, who aggressively and insolently demands the troika for the sleigh which would rightfully belong to Strogoff. In order not to blow his camouflage, he passively accepts the insults, arousing some suspicion in Nadja. Arrived at Strogoff's family estate, Michael and Nadja spend a night of love and are awakened in the morning by Svetlana, wife of the

sharecropper Sharecropping is a legal arrangement in which a landowner allows a tenant (sharecropper) to use the land in return for a share of the crops produced on that land. Sharecropping is not to be conflated with tenant farming, providing the tenant a ...

, who asks Michael about his life as an officer in

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

. He is forced to confess his true identity but Nadja, feeling deceived, rejects his apologies and sets off alone with the sled. However, she is soon captured by Ogareff and taken to the Tartar camp. Ogareff learns from one of his companions that the merchant's real name is Strogoff and therefore he is the courier he is looking for; Michael is captured and tortured. Sangarre manages to find his mother, the Countess Marfa; after the Tartars promise not to kill her son, she reveals that their prisoner is indeed Captain Michael Strogoff. Sangarre discovers also the message in his belt containing the information of reinforcements being sent to the Grand Duke. Ogareff keeps his word and does not kill the officer but blinds him by holding a red-hot saber to his eyes; Marfa, unable to bear her own pain, falls dead. Feofar Khan is undecided whether to move towards Moscow or continue towards Irkutsk but Ogareff believes that the capital is too far away and suggests occupying Irkutsk and capturing the Grand Duke. Meanwhile, Michael wanders blind among the beggars but is found by Nadja, and both join a group of refugees led by a priest who try to escape the war by crossing the

Angara The Angara (; ) or Angar ( мүрэн) is a major river in Siberia, which traces a course through Russia's Irkutsk Oblast and Krasnoyarsk Krai. It drains out of Lake Baikal and is the headwater tributary of the Yenisey. It is long, and has ...

; during the journey, Michael regains his sight. Ogareff, informed by Sangarre that the following day the Grand Duke's troops will leave the city in search of them, arrives in Irkutsk under the false guise of Captain Strogoff and carries out the plan agreed with Feofar Khan. However, Michael meets a squad of Russian soldiers and reveals his identity; he is taken to the army camp and then leads them to block the Tartar army. Feofar Khan attacks the Russian troops anyways, but his cavalry is decimated. What remains of the cavalry, led by Ogareff, is attacked from behind by Strogoff's reinforcements and during the battle Sangarre dies. The intervention of the artillery resolves the battle in favor of the Russians and Strogoff manages to capture Ogareff; the last desperate charge ends in a massacre and he is killed by the Russian soldiers.

Cast

* John Phillip Law: captain Michael Strogoff, the Tsar's courier * Mimsy Farmer: Nadja Fëdorova * Hiram Keller: Ivan Ogareff, a former Russian officer *

Delia Boccardo Delia Boccardo (born 29 January 1948) is an Italian film, television and stage actress. Life and career Born in Genoa, Boccardo spent her childhood and adolescence in Nervi, then studied at a Swiss college, at the Poggio Imperiale girls' sc ...

: Sangarre, Ivan's lover *

Kurt Meisel Kurt Meisel (18 August 1912 – 4 April 1994) was an Austrian actor and film director. He appeared in 65 films between 1934 and 1994. He also directed 21 films between 1949 and 1984. Meisel was married to the actress Ursula Lingen. He was born a ...

: Feofar Khan, leader of the Tartars * Elisabeth Bergner: countess Marfa Strogoff, Michael's mother * Claudio Gora: General Dubelt * Christian Marin: Harry Blount, an English journalist *: Alcide Jolivet, a French photographer * Jacques Maury: captain Alexandre Chélépine *: Vasilij Fëdor, Nadja's husband * Herbert Fux: priest *

Enzo Fiermonte Enzo Fiermonte (17 July 1908 – 22 March 1993), sometimes credited as William Bird, was an Italian actor and boxer. Early life Vincenzo "Enzo" Fiermonte was born on 17 July 1908 in Casamassima, a rural village near Bari, in southern Italy to D ...

: colonel

References

External links

* {{Michael Strogoff 1970 films 1970s adventure films Italian adventure films French adventure films West German films English-language French films English-language German films English-language Italian films Films directed by Eriprando Visconti Films based on Michael Strogoff Films set in Russia Films set in the 19th century 1970s Italian films 1970s French films Films scored by Teo Usuelli