Film "Heart of a Dog": actors and roles

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

27 years ago, in 1988, viewers first saw the television film Heart of a Dog, based on the story of the same name by the remarkable writer Mikhail Bulgakov. The picture gained immense popularity, and phrases from it immediately became popular expressions: “Devastation is not in the closets, but in the heads”, “In line, sons of bitches, in line.”

The film "Heart of a Dog", whose actors and roles became known throughout the vast country in the first days after the premiere, is today one of the best Soviet films.

History of Creation

The TV movie "Heart of a Dog", the actors of which were carefully selected over a long period of time, was filmed based on the famous story by Bulgakov. Not everyone knows that the script of the picture is far from similar to the original in everything. Director Vladimir Bortko wrote it himself and included scenes, situations and characters from several stories and feuilletons of the writer. They organically entered the film and only gave it brightness and color. The director included other works of the writer in the film adaptation of the story in order to expand the scope, go beyondprofessor's apartments and show the streets of the city of that time.

Written in 1925, the story was first published in Bulgakov's homeland 62 years later. Immediately after reading it, Bortko decided to film Heart of a Dog. The actors and roles of this film fell in love with the audience and were remembered for many years.

Restructuring was already underway in the country, and the director did not meet any obstacles from the authorities.

Plot of the picture

The luminary of domestic science, the ingenious surgeon Professor Preobrazhensky deals with the problems of rejuvenation of the human body. All the aging representatives of power and culture dream of getting into his operations. He has his own theory of complete recovery of the body. For her realization, he picks up a stray mongrel on the street and decides to transplant her human pituitary gland and seminal glands.

This, according to the scientist, should rejuvenate the old animal. The professor's theory did not come true - Sharik did not become younger after the operation. He began to transform into a man whose organs were transplanted to him. And it was an extremely unpleasant person, an alcoholic, a bully and a boor Klim Chugunkin.

Preobrazhensky has to make sure that his ward receives documents and begins to adapt in society. Unfortunately, the kind Sharik adopted all the bad habits and worst traits of his donor, Klim Chugunkin. Between him, a professor and a student of Preobrazhensky, Dr. Bormental, relations are heating up more and more. Whenit comes to a denunciation and threat of weapons from Chugunkin, the surgeon goes to extreme measures and again takes up the scalpel.

Actors of the film "Heart of a Dog" - people and animals

The candidates for the roles were selected carefully and painstakingly. Bortko has already managed to become famous as a talented director, having shot the film "Blonde around the Corner". Therefore, there were many venerable actors among those who wanted to play in his new tape. Evgeny Evstigneev was chosen for the role of Preobrazhensky. He became his favorite character, and shooting in the film "Heart of a Dog", whose actors are still dearly loved by the audience, literally saved the artist, who was in a difficult state of mind at that moment. Evstigneev could not recover after the conflict with Efremov, and the new role was most welcome.

If the actors for other roles were selected for a long time, then Boris Plotnikov, who played Ivan Bormental, was approved by Bortko as soon as he saw him at the Moscow Satire Theater. The young actor was at first afraid to play with such an eminent partner as Evstigneev. But the latter cheered up a colleague, saying that they are equal on the set.

Another interesting actor starred in the film. Sharikov, whose dog's heart appears in the picture as a metaphor, is Vladimir Tolokonnikov, a talented and extraordinary person. Bortko looked through many samples, but did not find someone who could embody the image of both a dog and a man. Tolokonnikov was found in the photo database of the actors. His first attempt was so successful thathe was immediately approved for the role of Polygraph Poligrafovich.

The most unusual member of the film crew was the dog Kariy, a mongrel who played the role of the long-suffering Sharik. Bortko said that he had never seen a smarter and more professional dog. Kariy performed all the commands from the first take and was just the perfect actor. For the four-legged artist, this was the first, but not the last work in the cinema - subsequently Kari starred in four more films.

In addition to the service dog, several cats were filmed in the scenes where Sharikov causes a flood in the apartment.

Film "Heart of a Dog" - actors in episodes

Angelika Nevolina (typist in Sharikov's office), Sergey Filippov (Preobrazhensky's patient), Natalya Fomenko (member of the house committee, Shvonder's assistant), Roman Tkachuk (Professor Persikov) and many other actors were remembered by the viewer for their episodic, but bright roles. They managed to recreate the real atmosphere of Bulgakov's satirical works.

Curious movie facts

Vladimir Tolokonnikov at the first test so convincingly depicted drinking a glass of vodka that he struck the director on the spot. After that, he was immediately approved for the role of Sharikov.

The film "Heart of a Dog", whose actors are so fond of the audience, according to many domestic and foreign ratings, is in first place in the list of the best Soviet films.

Dog Kariy, who played Sharik, had an honorary list of 38 detained criminals. The fact is that he was in the police service.

The songs and ditties used in the film were written by bard Yuri Kim.

Director Vladimir Bortko played an episodic role of a street onlooker in the film.

Monuments to Polygraph Poligrafovich and Professor Preobrazhensky were erected in Kharkov.

Yevgeny Evstigneev and Vladimir Bortko received the State Prize of the RSFSR for their work on the film.

Reviews from viewers and critics

In the first days of the premiere, a huge number of viewers saw the TV movie "Heart of a Dog". The actors who played in it instantly gained all-Union fame - Vladimir Tolokonnikov, Boris Plotnikov, Olga Melikhova, Roman Kartsev, Alexei Mironov, Nina Ruslanova.

If ordinary viewers were delighted with the picture, then the reviews of some critics were impartial. Despite this, the film "Heart of a Dog", created by Vladimir Bortko and his film crew, is one of the best adaptations of Bulgakov's works today.