Heart of a Dog (1988)

In the wake of the Russian revolution, Professor Preobrazhensky rescues a starving dog from the gutter, and attempts to transform him into a man. Based on Mikhail Bulgakov's novel of the same name.

Director:

Vladimir Bortko

Writers:

Nataliya Bortko (as Natalya Bortko), Mikhail A. Bulgakov (story)

Stars:

Evgeniy Evstigneev, Vladimir Tolokonnikov, Boris Plotnikov

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview:
Evgeniy Evstigneev	...	Professor Filipp Filippovich Preobrazhensky
Vladimir Tolokonnikov	...	Poligraf Poligrafovich Sharikov
Boris Plotnikov	...	Dr. Bormenthal
Roman Kartsev	...	Schwonder
Nina Ruslanova	...	Darya Petrovna
Evgeniy Kuznetsov	...	Pestrukhin
Olga Melikhova	...	Zinochka
Aleksey Mironov	...	Fyodor
Anzhelika Nevolina
Natalya Fomenko
Ivan Ganzha
Valentina Kovel
Sergey Filippov
Roman Tkachuk
Natalya Lapina

Storyline

In the wake of the Russian revolution, a starving dog is rescued from the streets of Moscow by a cultivated professor. The professor experiments on the dog, who soon begins to transform into a man. The Bolsheviks downstairs are pleased: after all, those who live lives fit for dogs deserve better. Yet how will the professor cope with this strange animal? Is it still possible to keep him on a leash? Or will he bite?

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Plot Keywords:

animal becoming a human | russia | medical experiment | animal in title | surrealism | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian

Release Date:

20 November 1988 (Soviet Union)

Also Known As:

Heart of a Dog

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lenfilm Studio

Technical Specs

Runtime:

136 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Remake of Dog's Heart (1976)

User Reviews

The best movie I ever seen

No words to describe this movie because it genius and fantastic! I recommend it for everybody! Must see from 10 y.o. and older. Need to read M.A.Bulgakov before. So I don't now what to write more, just cite: Despite its short size, this book has endless layers. On the surface, it is a hilariously sad story about a science experiment gone very wrong in the direction that its creator did not quite anticipate, and all the funny antics of the newly created sorta-human Sharikov. Yes, that includes obsessive and funny cat-chasing even when the dog becomes "human".

On the other level, it is a cautionary warning about what happens when power falls in the hands of those who should not be allowed to yield it, and the dangers and pitfalls of the system that allows that to happen. Yes, that includes an easy step from killing cats to pointing guns at real people, and demanding sex in exchange for keeping a job, and of course the ultimate evil that was to penetrate the fabric of the years to come - writing denunciations for little else than petty personal gains.