Morphine (russian: Морфий, Morphiy) is a 2008 Russian film directed by

Aleksei Balabanov Aleksei Oktyabrinovich Balabanov (russian: Алeксeй Oктябpинoвич Балабанoв; 25 February 1959 – 18 May 2013) was a Russian film director, screenwriter, and producer, a member of European Film Academy. He started from cre ...

, using the script by Sergei Bodrov Jr., based on the semi-autobiographical short stories by Mikhail Bulgakov.

Plot

The film takes place in late autumn and early winter of 1917 during the events of the

October Revolution The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key mome ...

and the beginning of the

Russian Civil War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Russian Civil War , partof = the Russian Revolution and the aftermath of World War I , image = , caption = Clockwise from top left: {{flatlist, *Soldiers ...

. A young Russian

doctor Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

called Mikhail Polyakov (

Leonid Bichevin Leonid Aleksandrovich Bichevin (Russian: Леони́д Алекса́ндрович Биче́вин; born 24 December 1984) is a Russian film and theater actor. Early life Leonid Bichevin was born in Klimovsk, Moscow Oblast, Russian SFSR, Sovi ...

) arrives at a small hospital in a remote

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

Yaroslavl Governorate Yaroslavl Governorate (russian: Ярославская губерния, ''Yaroslavskaya guberniya'') was an administrative division (a '' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR, located in European Russia in the Upper Volga ...

. Having freshly graduated from medical school, with little experience, he is the only doctor in the rural district. He works hard, earning the respect of his small staff (one

paramedic A paramedic is a registered healthcare professional who works autonomously across a range of health and care settings and may specialise in clinical practice, as well as in education, leadership, and research. Not all ambulance personnel are p ...

and two

nurse Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...

s). After an

allergic reaction Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, refer a number of conditions caused by the hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic derma ...

to a

diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild clinical course, but in some outbreaks more than 10% of those diagnosed with the disease may die. Signs and s ...

vaccination Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating ...

, he has his nurse Anna give him

morphine Morphine is a strong opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin in poppies (''Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as a pain medication, and is also commonly used recreationally, or to make other illicit opioids. T ...

to negate the effects. Gradually he slips into

addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use o ...

Soundtrack

Songs performed by

Alexander Vertinsky Alexander Nikolayevich Vertinsky (russian: Александр Николаевич Вертинский, — May 21, 1957) was a Russian and Soviet artist, poet, singer, composer, cabaret artist and actor who exerted seminal influence on the Ru ...

"Tango Magnolia", "Snow Lullaby", "Cocainetka"were used in the soundtrack of the film.

Awards

At the 2009 Russian Guild of Film Critics Awards Aleksei Balabanov received the prize Best Director.

References

External links

Official film website
* 2008 films 2008 drama films Russian drama films Films directed by Aleksei Balabanov Films about drugs Films about physicians Films based on short fiction Films based on works by Mikhail Bulgakov Films set in 1917 Films set in Russia Films shot in Yaroslavl Oblast Medical-themed films Russian Revolution films {{Russia-film-stub

Plot

Soundtrack

Awards

See also

References

External links