Poster for Heart of a Dog
Film

Heart of a Dog

Dir. Vladimir Bortko·1988·2h 16m

"Heart of a Dog" is a Soviet film adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s iconic novella. Set in 1920s Moscow, it tells the satirical and darkly humorous story of a stray dog named Sharik, who is transformed into a human by Professor Preobrazhensky through a daring medical experiment. The resulting man, Poligraf Poligrafovich Sharikov, embodies the social and ideological tensions of early Soviet society. With its sharp critique of class struggle, human nature, and the perils of radical change, the film is celebrated for its faithful adaptation, brilliant performances, and rich allegorical depth.

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Heart of a Dog

Heart of a Dog (1988)

Vladimir Bortko

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2h 16m
Cross-source blend ~79/100

At a glance

Countries

Soviet Union

Ratings

TMDB users

7.9/10

187 votes

Rating consensus

79/100 blend

Sources: TMDB

Warm reception overall — weighted ~79/100 across 1 rating source. The listed meters mostly agree.

Cast

Evgeniy Evstigneev

Professor Filipp Preobrazhenskyy

Boris Plotnikov

Doctor Bormental

Vladimir Tolokonnikov

Sharikov

Nina Ruslanova

Darya Petrovna

Olga Melikhova

Zinochka

Aleksei Mironov

Fyodor

Roman Kartsev

Shvonder

Anzhelika Nevolina

Vasnetsova

Natalya Fomenko

Vyazemskaya

Evgeniy Kuznetsov

Pestrukhin

Ivan Ganzha

Zharovkin

Valentina Kovel

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Logged by@user
Heart of a Dog

Heart of a Dog (1988)

Vladimir Bortko

Saved to Library

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