''Strogoff'' (French: ''Michel Strogoff, le courier du tsar;'' Italian: ''Michele Strogoff, corriere dello zar;'' German: ''Der Kurier des Zaren'') is a European adventure film directed in 1970 by

Eriprando Visconti Eriprando Visconti di Modrone, Count of Vico Modrone (September 24, 1932 – May 26, 1995) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was the nephew of the more famous Luchino Visconti. Born in Milan into a noble family, i ...

. It was an

international co-production A co-production is a joint venture between two or more different production companies for the purpose of film production, television production, video game development, and so on. In the case of an international co-production, production companie ...

between Italy, West Germany and France. It is based on Jules Verne's 1876 novel ''

Michael Strogoff ''Michael Strogoff: The Courier of the Czar'' (french: Michel Strogoff) is a novel written by Jules Verne in 1876. Critic Leonard S. Davidow, considers it one of Verne's best books. Davidow wrote, "Jules Verne has written no better book than t ...

'' 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 the 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 Fin ...

, is ordered to travel from

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...

to Irkutsk, in

eastern Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...

, 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 Slavic 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 ya ...

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 Troika or troyka (from Russian тройка, meaning 'a set of three') may refer to: Cultural tradition * Troika (driving), a traditional Russian harness driving combination, a cultural icon of Russia * Troika (dance), a Russian folk dance Pol ...

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, who asks Michael about his life as an officer in

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

. 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 her eyes; Marfa, unable to bear her 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; 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 John Phillip Law (September 7, 1937 – May 13, 2008) was an American film actor. Following a breakthrough role as a Russian sailor in ''The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming'' (1966), Law became best known for his roles as gu ...

: captain Michael Strogoff, the Tsar's courier *

Mimsy Farmer Merle "Mimsy" Farmer (born February 28, 1945) is an American actress, artist and sculptor. She began her career appearing in several Hollywood studio films, such as '' Spencer's Mountain'' (1963) and ''Bus Riley's Back in Town'' (1965), followed ...

: Nadja Fëdorova *

Hiram Keller Hiram Keller (May 3, 1944 – January 20, 1997), born Hiram Keller Undercofler Jr., was an American stage and film actor who starred in European films. He is best known for his role as Ascyltus in Federico Fellini's 1969 film ''Satyricon''. ...

: 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' sch ...

: 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 Elisabeth Bergner (22 August 1897 – 12 May 1986) was an Austrian-British actress. Primarily a stage actress, her career flourished in Berlin and Paris before she moved to London to work in films. Her signature role was Gemma Jones in '' Esca ...

: countess Marfa Strogoff, Michael's mother *

Claudio Gora Claudio Gora, '' Emilio Giordana '' (27 July 1913 – 13 March 1998) was an Italian actor and film director. He was particularly prolific, making some 155 appearances in film and television over nearly 60 years (from 1939 to 1997). In the 1950s ...

: General Dubelt *

Christian Marin Christian Marin (8 February 1929 – 5 September 2012) was a French film actor. Born in Lyon, he is best known for his role in ''Le gendarme series'' (as "Merlot"), although he did not appear in the last two sequels. In 1967 he appeared in the tel ...

: Harry Blount, an English journalist *: Alcide Jolivet, a French photographer *

Jacques Maury Jacques Maury (10 November 1920 – 12 April 2020) was a French pastor. Biography Jacques was the son of Pierre Maury, a dogmatic professor at the Protestant Faculty of Theology in Paris. Pierre Maury introduced the ideas of Karl Barth in France. ...

: captain Alexandre Chélépine *: Vasilij Fëdor, Nadja's husband *

Herbert Fux Herbert Fux (25 March 1927 – 13 March 2007) was an Austrian film actor and politician. He appeared in more than 140 films between 1960 and 2007. Life Fux was born in Hallein, at the age of five he moved with his family to the city of Salz ...

: 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 Do ...

: 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