19th century Tartar unrest throws Russia into turmoil and the Czar desperately needs to communicate with his brother. Unfortunately, his sibling (a Duke) is stuck behind enemy lines. Jurgens (the Czar's agent) is given the task of getting the message through. To shield himself from suspicion, Jurgens assumes the identity of a merchant and takes along a beautiful female companion (Page), who poses as his wife. The pair run into many dangers along the way (including a fight with a bear!) but somehow manage to cross through enemy lines in spite of the best efforts of a traitor. Almost stealing the show are the antics of two French reporters covering the war, one on the political right, the other on the political left. This is a cool movie with lots of action and intrigue; it also has great acting and a well-written script. Based on the sprawling adventure novel by Jules Verne. Subtitled in English.