Heart of a Dog

In the chilly winter of 1924 Moscow, a stray dog experiences a life-altering encounter while searching for scraps. After being scalded with boiling water, he lies pitifully in a doorway, grappling with despair. His fortunes change when he meets the successful surgeon, Filipp Filippovich Preobrazhensky, who offers him a piece of sausage. Overjoyed, the dog, later named Sharik (which means “little ball”), follows the good-hearted professor back to his home, where he dreams of a life suited for a well-fed canine.

Inside the professor’s residence, Sharik becomes acquainted with the household members, including Doctor Ivan Arnoldovich Bormenthal, the professor’s adept student, alongside two female servants: Zinaida Prokofievna Bunina and Darya Petrovna Ivanova. While the professor vocally opposes communism, his skillful medical practice keeps him in the good graces of the ruling RCP(b), allowing him to maintain his spacious seven-room apartment, much to the disdain of the local housing committee represented by Schwonder.

As days pass, one of the servants takes Sharik for walks in the bustling streets of Moscow. Proudly wearing his new collar, he dismisses the jibes of passing strays. After regaining his health, Professor Preobrazhensky unveils his true purpose for adopting Sharik. He locks the dog in the bathroom as preparations begin for an unorthodox experiment. Sharik, frustrated, plots a little revenge against the professor’s stuffed owl, but his feigned aggression is cut short when he is pulled into the laboratory.

In the lab, a groundbreaking surgery commences. With Bormenthal’s assistance, Preobrazhensky trepans Sharik’s skull, implanting a human pituitary gland. The operation involves grafting human testicles onto him, sourced from a deceased petty criminal with a reputation for violence and indulgence in vices. As adrenaline shots keep Sharik alive throughout the procedure, the narrative shifts perspectives, revealing the aftermath of the operation.

Weeks later, the household watches, astonished, as Sharik begins to transform into a disheveled, initially primitive human being. He adopts the absurd name “Poligraf Poligrafovich Sharikov,” a name he cheekily chooses himself, playing off a connection to printing. The attempts by Preobrazhensky and Bormenthal to inculcate standards of decency in their new tenant yield humorous yet frustrating results, as Sharikov openly scoffs at the notions of etiquette, opting instead for a crude manner of living.

Sharikov brings chaos into the once orderly home. At one point, his antics lead to a flooded apartment when he inadvertently turns on a tap during an ill-advised chase after a cat. His erratic behaviors escalate, culminating in a disturbing episode where he attempts to assault one of the female servants. This prompts Bormenthal to chastise him physically, leading Sharikov to storm out for a few days.

In a moment of desperation, Bormenthal implores Preobrazhensky for the means to eliminate Sharikov, whom he derisively labels “a man with the heart of a dog.” However, the professor stands firm against this suggestion, attributing Sharikov’s unbecoming behavior to the origins of his human parts from a wayward drunkard and expressing his belief in the value of all life, regardless of its flaws.

Soon after, Sharikov returns, boasting about securing a job with the Soviet government, which involves catching stray cats—a task he proudly announces as a contribution to the proletariat’s needs. He then shocks the professor by introducing a female coworker as his common-law wife, a revelation that devastates the woman when she learns the truth of his genesis.

The narrative crescendos as Sharikov, emboldened, makes a grave error by denouncing the professor to the secret police. Preobrazhensky’s friend in the party reassures him, suggesting that given Sharikov’s dubious character, he has little to fear. However, upon returning, Sharikov defiantly brandishes a weapon, leading to a violent confrontation.

In the ensuing quiet of the apartment, after Sharikov’s ouster, a notable change occurs: Preobrazhensky and Bormenthal find comfort and relief absent of the chaos Sharikov had brought into their lives. Eventually, the police arrive with a search warrant, insisting on locating him. Unfazed, the professor commands Bormenthal to summon Sharikov, who is ironically in the process of reverting to his canine form.

The transformation concludes as Sharik returns to his rightful status as a well-tended gentleman’s dog. Yet, an ambiguous final note lingers—Sharik hints at the professor’s experiments continuing, possibly indicating the remnants of his human memory or future plans to explore the depths of human evolution further.

Last Updated: November 16, 2024 at 17:22