Hildegard Knef gives us one of the best interpretations for the Empress of Russia. But Elisabeth Bergner with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in "Catherine the Great (1935)" and Louise Dresser with Rudolph Valentino (!) as The Black Eagle in "The Eagle (1925)" are good as well. Sergio Fantoni is not a super-star as Fairbanks or Valentino but he is a good cast as Orloff. The ball-room scenes, the costumes and the uniforms are good (Walter Patriarca was the costume-designer). Umberto Lenzi, the director, and the script-writer Malatesta deliver us a fine historical movie with passion and adventure.