Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    EmmysSuperheroes GuideSan Diego Comic-ConSummer Watch GuideBest Of 2025 So FarDisability Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
8 suggestions available
Watchlist
Sign in
Sign in
New customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Heart of a Dog

Original title: Sobachye serdtse
  • TV Movie
  • 1988
  • PG
  • 2h 16m
IMDb RATING
8.5/10
9.9K
YOUR RATING
Heart of a Dog (1988)
FarcePeriod DramaSatireComedyDramaSci-Fi

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 sam... Read allIn 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.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
    • Mikhail A. Bulgakov
  • Stars
    • Evgeniy Evstigneev
    • Vladimir Tolokonnikov
    • Boris Plotnikov
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.5/10
    9.9K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Vladimir Bortko
    • Writers
      • Nataliya Bortko
      • Mikhail A. Bulgakov
    • Stars
      • Evgeniy Evstigneev
      • Vladimir Tolokonnikov
      • Boris Plotnikov
    • 19User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win total

    Photos30

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 24
    View Poster

    Top cast43

    Edit
    Evgeniy Evstigneev
    Evgeniy Evstigneev
    • Professor Filipp Filippovich Preobrazhensky
    Vladimir Tolokonnikov
    Vladimir Tolokonnikov
    • Poligraf Poligrafovich Sharikov
    Boris Plotnikov
    Boris Plotnikov
    • Dr. Bormenthal
    Roman Kartsev
    Roman Kartsev
    • Shwonder
    Nina Ruslanova
    Nina Ruslanova
    • Darya Petrovna Ivanova
    Evgeniy Kuznetsov
    • Pestrukhin
    Olga Melikhova
    Olga Melikhova
    • Zinochka Bunina
    Aleksey Mironov
    Aleksey Mironov
    • Fyodor
    Anzhelika Nevolina
    Anzhelika Nevolina
    • Vasnetsova
    Natalya Fomenko
    • Vyazemskaya
    Ivan Ganzha
    • Zharovkin
    Valentina Kovel
    Valentina Kovel
    • The Patient
    Sergey Filippov
    Sergey Filippov
    • The Patient
    Roman Tkachuk
    Roman Tkachuk
    • Nikolay Persikov
    Natalya Lapina
    Natalya Lapina
    • Spiritualist Session Participant
    Sergey Bekhterev
    Sergey Bekhterev
    • The Medium
    Aleksandr Belinsky
    • Spiritualist Session Participant
    Igor Efimov
    Igor Efimov
    • The Investigator
    • (voice)
    • Director
      • Vladimir Bortko
    • Writers
      • Nataliya Bortko
      • Mikhail A. Bulgakov
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews19

    8.59.8K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    10michaelberanek275

    Big-hearted film about dogs and men in the great Soviet experiment

    Superb modern parable from a seditious Russian novel of 1925 by Mikhail Bulgakov that didn't see the light of day until the 1980s. This is cleverly photographed in sepia hues alongside some brilliantly restored and copied archive-footage, but at the same time it feels very contemporary and accessible with great definition close up, haunting polyphonic choral music, excellent comic acting, so it's got pretty much everything right. The Amazon sleeve art was a little off-putting looking rather cheap and amateur which it is neither - quite the opposite - it's clearly lavishly produced, ironically by Leninfilm. Ask anyone in eastern Europe, they've seen this film, but may not have heard of the book of its long history.

    The story is a biting satire of Soviet communism and even when it was released it would have packed a punch, in fact it was surely art like this and other cultural dissent, not Ronald Reagan and Gorby that dismissed the regime, just a year later.

    The plot involves a slightly uncouth mongrel dog but ever so charming that undergoes an experiment that the Bolshevik-hating professor didn't bargain for.... There's a touch of horror, layer upon layer of contemporaneous & still relevant cultural/political references, but above all it takes the prize for being all this but still extremely funny, and warm and humane. A cracker.
    9AndalouRainDog

    I watched this movie at least 20 times...

    ...Not always from the beginning, though, but every time it goes on TV I am somehow unable to switch channel - dispite knowing all of the scenes by heart! Almost perfect adaptation of a great Bulgakov's novella. I recommend "Heart of a Dog" to every foreign viewer as a hidden gem of soviet cinema.
    10proterozoic

    Wow

    This movie (and yes, it's a movie - it was shot as a two-parter, but the two parts together come down to slightly more than 2 hours) is one of the unsung masterpieces of world cinema. A very well-mannered, and yet at the same time absolutely savage denunciation of the Soviet regime and the type of person who flourished under it, the film is a faithful adaptation of the long-banned eponymous book by Mikhail Bulgakov. The sets are flawless, and the director made the brilliant decision to film in monochrome sepia, adding a feel of authenticity where a late-80s washed-out color incarnation would have all but ruined the film. I won't say much about the plot, which deserves to be discovered by the viewer himself, but the performances are true Oscar material; special mentions go out to E. Evstigneev, who plays the old professor with such presence, gravitas and kind wisdom that with barely a word or a gesture, he ends up stealing every scene he's in. The second, of course, is Creature/Sharikov, who, played to horrifying perfection by V. Tolokonnikov, is by far more frightening a character than Hannibal Lecter, because not only does he exist in real life - entire countries have been ran by men like him throughout history, with all that ensues.

    While it's a socio political allegory, it is worth mentioning that the movie is also brimming with humor, albeit dark - there are many outright comedies which haven't made me laugh as much as this film. What's more, when laughing at this movie, the feeling is not only one of hilarity but of understanding and agreement, which is always a plus.

    There is hardly a complaint I have with this movie - the only slight flaw is the tone of intellectual/bourgeois snobbery I caught at times from the "enlightened" characters. But that's a minor quibble.

    Sadly, this film appears to have been bypassed by Western licensing companies. It's a crying shame that one of the all-round best movies out there is languishing unrestored and untranslated (which shouldn't be incredibly hard - though all the cultural references and the revolutionary terminology will necessarily fade in translation, the film's main themes should be accessible to all). While we're waiting with our fingers crossed for the Criterion edition, I'm considering creating English subtitles myself. Will see how that works out.
    10scribbler-2

    The last masterpiece of the Soviet cinema.

    One of the most excellent movies ever produced in Russia and certainly the best one made during the decline of the USSR. Incredibly clever, hilarious and dramatic at the same time. Superb acting. Overall a masterpiece. Score it 10/10.
    10rivkin-542-767508

    the most controversial Russian classic

    It does not come to me a surprise that all positive reviews on this site come from Russian ex-pats, while the single negative one comes from somebody outside.

    This movie is based on a classic work by a leading Russian monarchist intellectual. As such, it offers us a rare opportunity to look at the world from point of view of educated, wealthy aristocrat - a being much despised by most today, as he confronts an underprivileged, undereducated and underachieving antagonist, together with multitude of civil rights activists, acting as the latter's allies.

    The movie's philosophy can be horrifying (and can be argued to be biased and one sided), but definitely deserves a consideration, offering a refreshingly new (or rediscovered old) prospective on eternal problems of social justice and intellectual hierarchy.

    More like this

    Gentlemen of Fortune
    8.3
    Gentlemen of Fortune
    Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession
    8.2
    Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession
    The Diamond Arm
    8.2
    The Diamond Arm
    Kidnapping, Caucasian Style
    8.3
    Kidnapping, Caucasian Style
    Operation 'Y' & Other Shurik's Adventures
    8.4
    Operation 'Y' & Other Shurik's Adventures
    Courier
    7.7
    Courier
    Twelve Chairs
    8.2
    Twelve Chairs
    Twelve Chairs
    8.2
    Twelve Chairs
    Blind Man's Bluff
    7.2
    Blind Man's Bluff
    Office Romance
    8.2
    Office Romance
    The Garage
    8.0
    The Garage
    Afonya
    7.7
    Afonya

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      A dog named Karai was filmed in the role of Sharik. The owner and trainer of the dog is Yelena Nikiforova. The dog was in the service of the police and by the beginning of filming, the heroic mongrel had 38 arrests on its account. After "Heart of a Dog" Karay starred in four more films.
    • Quotes

      Poligraf Poligrafovich Sharikov: You are wrong here. I didn't ask you to perform the operation, did I? A fine business! You go and grab hold of an animal, slice his head open... and now you're sick of him! I didn't give permission to operate on me, did I? Neither did my relatives. I guess I have the right to sue you.

      Professor Filipp Filippovich Preobrazhensky: So you object to having been turned into a human being, do you? Maybe you'd prefer to be sniffing around garbage cans again? Or freezing under gateways?

      Poligraf Poligrafovich Sharikov: Why do you keep on at me? Garbage cans, garbage cans! Perhaps I was making my living there. And what if I'd died under your knife? What d'you say to that, comrade?

      Professor Filipp Filippovich Preobrazhensky: My name is Philip Philipovich. I'm no comrade of yours!

      Poligraf Poligrafovich Sharikov: Oh sure, I know. Of course, how else, we're not your comrades! How could we? We understand, sir! We didn't go to universities. We never had a flat of fifteen rooms and a bathroom. Only now it is time to forget about all that.

    • Connections
      Featured in Legends of World Cinema: Evgeny Evstigneyev

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 20, 1988 (Soviet Union)
    • Country of origin
      • Soviet Union
    • Language
      • Russian
    • Also known as
      • En hunds hjärta
    • Production company
      • Lenfilm Studio
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 16 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Heart of a Dog (1988)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Heart of a Dog (1988) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Poster
    List
    IMDb Summer Watch Guide
    Browse the guide
    Production art
    List
    July 2025 TV and Streaming Premiere Dates
    See the list
    Poster
    List
    Most Anticipated Indian Movies: July-December 2025
    See the list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.