Der Kurier des Zaren

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.