Mournful Unconcern
1987 · 110 MIN · IMDB 6.6 · 337 VOTES · DIR. Aleksandr Sokurov
Overview
The action in this lavishly produced film takes place at an oddly ark-shaped mansion during World War I, and in spirit (although not in story) it reflects the play which inspired it, the ferociously antiwar Heartbreak House by George Bernard Shaw. A large group of family and friends have gathered at this country house to dance, drink, and converse. Their conversation, in particular, is adorned with erudite literary references and quotations. Despite their apparent refinement, their preoccupations are simple: sex and violence. Disquieting images break the tranquility of the vacationers' inappropriate idyll: some of these include documentary footage of starving African children, images (both real and re-enacted) of George Bernard Shaw going about his daily life, and a corpse coming to life on an autopsy table, only to cheapen that miracle by scolding a group of women. The music used in the film ironically points to its disturbing message and is uniformly anachronistic.
Dialogue Timeline — 889 lines
A SAMPLE ACROSS THE RUNTIME — EVERY LINE IS SEARCHABLE
00:00:01 LENFILM
00:04:18 Goodbye, goodbye...
00:08:19 - Are you his daughter? - No, certainly not.
00:11:38 woke me at 8 in the morning and told me...
00:14:42 Just what you want...
00:16:51 you're enchanting!
00:20:44 One time he saved one...
00:23:35 Go on.
00:27:51 - I'm in love with her husband. - You little devil!
00:32:19 Mangan!
00:38:37 Let's turn.
00:41:10 why in the hell he kicked the bucket.
00:43:40 if it doesn't need to eat.
00:50:09 He is a little heavy.
00:52:54 if you found me so repugnant.
00:58:19 down.
01:00:27 How the hell?
01:03:59 little sister.
01:06:25 Let's see!
01:09:18 and encounter all manner of evils...
01:13:10 What is that noise?
01:16:43 And now we concentrate on our navels.
01:22:27 Idiot!
01:25:36 He's gone mad!