Der Kurier des Zaren

In this fantastical story by Jules Verne, Michel Strogoff (Michael in the American titles) is a man larger than life. He's a strong and important captain in the Russian Army. The Tsar gives him a dangerous assignment, to go incognito through enemy territory and deliver a message to his brother fighting on the front lines. To make his disguise believable, they've assigned him a "wife", although Genevieve Page is a little uncomfortable pretending. Why, Gen? Doesn't she realize her costar is Curd Jurgens, a very strong, handsome, charismatic, manly fellow? In one eventful scene, he lifts a fallen birch tree with one hand, rescues a man from under a collapsed horse cart, and walks head-on to an angry bear and stabs it (don't worry; it's not gory). It's no wonder European audiences understood his masculinity and sex appeal - and it's a shame American audiences didn't get to see him that way. And if you think Genevieve might soften towards her "husband", you might be right.

This really is a great adventure story, and I'm tempted to find a copy of the original novel. The only problem is that I wasn't able to find a version with English subtitles, so most American audiences won't be able to appreciate it. I'm not so fluent that I caught every word, but I understood the majority of it and was able to easily follow the story. If you do speak French, you'll really enjoy this movie. So much went into the production, from the lush set designs to the beautiful period costumes, fine acting, and exciting music. It was the number one hit in France during 1956 - and it's no wonder! Also, if you like hearing Curd speaking French (which he does so beautifully, without a trace of a German accent), you have several more opportunities to catch him in French movies.

I saw Michel Strogoff when I was just a little boy in fifties, at cinema Elhamra in Izmir. Its Turkish name was "Volga Mahkumlari" (The Prisoners of Volga). Later, I read the Turkish translation of the Jules Verne book which was published with the same title of the original book the film was based on. I remember the run and chase plot of the book better than the film's plot. The only things I remember of the film are its sad (maybe gloomy)atmosphere and Curd Jurgens who was captured by spies of the villain and was blinded with a red-hot iron stick. The sequence made such a strong impression on me that although I have forgotten almost all the other aspects of the film ("the events happen in Russia") I have never forgotten it.

I must have noticed the existence of Sylva Koscina who has been one of my boyhood idols, for the first time in Michel Strogoff. I have completely forgotten Koscina's image in Michel Strogoff but still remember her Playboy photographs shoving her naked in water.

It would just be a wonderful nostalgic pleasure if I could have a DVD of Michel Strogoff! COSKUN BUKTEL

The first version of Michel Strogonoff was a short made in 190 by J. Searle Dawley for Edison (not known to survive, possibly lost). A 40-minute version which does survive was made in 1914 a co-rpoduction by Popular Players and Lubin and starred the famous Yiddish actor Jacob P. Adler as Strogonoff. It is not very good. The classic version (if that word "classic" is to man anything at all) was made in 1926 by Victor Tourjansky with Ivan Mozzhukhin as Strogoff and is one of the major films of what might be called the French (or in this case Franco-Rusian) school of "montage". This fifties version is a typically efficient of the period but not very remarkable.

It is hard to believe that this French,German/Italian/Yugoslavian coproduction became such a hit in France. Today, such mix of nationalities is nothing uncommon, but in those days it was often a sign of compromise, since one company could not finance an expensive shoot like this. Therefore, we have a German star in the lead, and otherwise mostly french character actors, with a few italians as well, and the majority of Yugoslavian extras. Curd Jürgens looks like the classic arian the nazis have dreamed about but never ever convince me to be Russian.

But this is only one of many weaknesses in this film. Shot in Yugoslavia, the scenery never really looks convincingly siberian. The fighting scenes took much to long and have been badly staged, most action is filmed from far away, you were left to guess what was going on. And there are enormous plot holes. I assume the films first cut was much longer and has been drastically shortened. These cuts made it difficult to understand the narrative. On the other hand we have to watch unnecessary long battle scenes that bring the story nowhere. The film is a very annoying experience.

I was curious about this Italian version of Jules Verne's most dramatic novel to see how much they would have butchered it. Surprisedly they had kept the main plot rather untouched with just a few additions and simplifications: all the major dramatic moments of the novel have been whisked away of course, but Curd Jurgens is not unconvincing as the imperial courier although perhaps a little overdone: the role would have suited Cornel Wilde better. The main addition is the love story with Genevieve Page as Nadia, and the important role of Nikolay as the driver is completely done away with. The main assets of the film are the great mass scenes, especially those with the cavalry, this was actually Jules Verne's only war novel, and the war element has been well taken care of in this film. Jules Verne would not have been displeased but not very pleased either.