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 .
