Sobachye serdtse (1988) (TV)

User Rating:

9.1/10   

Director:

Vladimir Bortko

Writers:

Natalya Bortko (writer)
Mikhail A. Bulgakov (story)

Release Date:

15 January 2008 (Italy)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Old Prof. Preobrazhensky and his young colleague Dr. Bormental inserted the human's hypophysis into a dog's brain...

Plot Keywords:

Surrealism | Farce

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Evgeni Evstigneev	...	Professor Filipp Filippovich Preobrazhensky
Vladimir Tolokonnikov	...	Poligraf Poligrafovich Sharikov
Boris Plotnikov	...	Dr. Bormenthal
Roman Kartsev	...	Schwonder
Nina Ruslanova	...	Darya Petrovna
Yevgeni Kuznetsov
Olga Melikhova	...	Zinochka
Aleksei Mironov	...	Fyodor
Anzhelika Nevolina
Natalya Fomenko
Ivan Ganzha
Valentina Kovel
Sergei Filippov
Roman Tkachuk
Natalya Lapina

Also Known As:

Собачье сердце (Soviet Union: Russian title)
Heart of a Dog (literal English title)

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Lenfilm Studio

Movie Connections:

Version of Cuore di cane (1976)

Emphasis on man

There are people and people on this world, of which some, we must agree, are of arguable "pedigree". Like...a dog, let's say. So what is the difference between man and dog? The fact that an animal doesn't aspire to greatness? Or is it that an animal knows, more or less, its limits and man often doesn't? Debatable, but my guess would be something in this direction. And, just one more question: is it the heart or the mind that counts more?

In the "natural" surroundings of the year 1924 in Russia (shortly after the Russian revolution came to an end - the war between the Reds and the Whites) a professor devoted to his science, but not obsessed by it, conducts an experiment on a dog, implanting some gland which, in effect, causes the animal to evolve into a man. It does sound a bit silly, I must say, but it's arguably a thing of evolution which one might consider. The result of the experiment is a human being which adapts amazingly well to the "simple" doctrine of the bolsheviki, while denying any intellectual rights a person might have on the world as it is. The simple man who desires philosophical concepts such as equality without being able to fully comprehend what it'd mean. In a way, this is what communism relied on and too many people relished this utopist dream.

It's a satire, yes, but not to a huge extent. Don't watch the film expecting to see a phenomenal comedic act, as you definitely won't. The cast does deliver some strong performances, although not constantly and I suppose the directing went rather swell. I'd say well shot.

There's not really much to say, given the strange character of the film. Maybe the subject isn't that catchy, but the movie itself has some very interesting strong points dispersed throughout the whole film. It's not Frankenstein, but you have to wonder how close it comes to being the infamous monster.