Mournful Unconcern

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.

Ramaz Chkhikvadze, Alla Osipenko, Dmitry Bryantsev, Tatiana Yegorova, Irina Sokolova, Vladimir Zamanskiy. See the cast cards above for character names.

Use Watch movie to open the external player, or expand Other ways to watch for alternative viewing information. Playback availability is controlled by the provider and can change. A catalogue listing does not confirm a playable stream.

Check the audio and subtitle controls inside the loaded player. Original language and production details describe the title; they do not confirm which tracks a provider offers.

Browsing title information on Movies New Online is free. External players may show advertisements. Check the player provider for its current availability and terms.