{{all plot|date=September 2019}} {{Infobox film | name = Mister Designer | image = Mister Designer.jpg | caption = Russian release poster | native_name = {{Infobox name module|Russian|Gospodin oformitel}} | director = Oleg Teptsov | producer = Oleg Teptsov | writer = Yuri Arabov | story = Alexander Grin | starring = {{Unbulleted list|Viktor Avilov|Anna Demyanenko|Mikhail Kozakov}} | music = Sergey Kuryokhin | cinematography = Anatoly Lapshov | editing = Irina Gorokhovskaya | studio = Lenfilm | released = {{film date|1987}} | runtime = 103 minutes | country = Soviet Union | language = Russian }} '''''Mister Designer''''' ({{langx|ru|Господин оформитель|Gospodin oformitel}}) is a 1987 Soviet horror film produced and directed by Oleg Teptsov, and based on the short story ''The Gray Automobile'' by Alexander Grin.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tvkultura.ru/brand/show/brand_id/27199/|title=ГОСПОДИН ОФОРМИТЕЛЬ. Х/Ф}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enc_cinema/4390/%D0%93%D0%9E%D0%A1%D0%9F%D0%9E%D0%94%D0%98%D0%9D|title=Энциклопедия кино — ГОСПОДИН ОФОРМИТЕЛЬ}}</ref>
==Plot== In 1908 St. Parkersburg, artist-designer Platoon Androgenic is obsessed with the idea of a contest with the Almighty. He wants to prolong the image of Man, even overcoming death, by sculpting and drawing. With his ability to craft magnificent wax mannequins, Platoon aims to create something perfect and eternal, not amenable to the passage of time.
Following the debut of a play featuring sets and costumes of his design, Platoon is hired by a jeweler to decorate his shop. Searching for a model to make a mannequin for the showcase, he finds Anna Betrayal, a young girl slowly dying from consumption. He sculpts a beautiful mannequin from her likeness, putting his whole soul into work. However, before Platoon could pay her, Anna fled the studio.
A few years later, for various reasons, Platoon's career is in decline. Due to the creative crisis, he has begun to abuse morphine, and faces financial ruins. Desperate, he accepts the offer of a rich businessman by the name of Trillion, to decorate the interior of his mansion. They travel to Trillion's mansion in his grey car.
Upon meeting Trillion's wife Maria, Platoon is immediately confused. She bears a striking resemblance to Anna. However, Maria denies knowing Platoon or Anna.
Platoon Androgenic proposes to Maria/Anna, but receives a refusal: she tells him that he is too poor. Thanks to an incredible chance, at a poker game the designer wins a huge fortune from Trillion, and makes his offer again, and again receives a refusal. She wouldn't stay with the madman who keeps calling her by another woman's name. The designer seeks to prove Maria is Anna, but he only finds the proof to the opposite. He finds Anna's tomb in a graveyard. In his workshop, he finds Anna's mummy that he believed was a mannequin. He starts to believe that Maria is his sculpture that became alive.
Gradually losing grasp of reality, Platoon goes to Trillion's house, almost getting run over by the grey car. He discovers Trillion is dead and a wake is being held. His widow reconsidered Platoon's proposal and is ready to marry him now. However, Platoon accuses her of being a "doll" that took the place of a real person, and hits her with a burning log. As she shrieks, part of the skin on her face melts away like wax. The heat from the log temporarily melts her face, exposing her to be an artificial being. The servant who drives the grey car shoots Platoon, who is believed dead. Maria's face magically returns to normal.
After a funeral is set up for Platoon, he opens his eyes, and escapes the mansion. As he crosses the bridge, he sees they gray car driving towards him. Platoon's fate is left ambiguous.
==Cast== *Viktor Avilov (debut in the movie) - Platon Andreevich *Anna Demyanenko - Anna / Maria *Mikhail Kozakov - Grillo (in the story of A. Greene - Grigno) *Ivan I. Krasko - servant *Vadim Lobanov - jeweler *Valentina Malakhieva - the old woman *Konstantin Lukashov - cemetery watchman *Svetlana Panfilova - nun *Yuri Aroyan - second cemetery watchman *Vladimir Minyailo - officer *Azamat Bagirov - card player *Yuri Bashkov - croupier ==Reception== {{expand section|date=December 2020}}
==Awards== The film won the Nika Award for Best Costume Design by Larisa Konnikova.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kino-nika.com/page91841.html|work=Nika Award|title=Лауреаты Национальной кинематографической премии "НИКА" за 1988 год.}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{IMDb title|tt0157713}}
Category:1987 films Category:1987 horror films Category:Lenfilm films Category:Films about mannequins Category:1980s horror drama films Category:1987 Soviet films Category:1987 Russian-language films Category:Russian-language fantasy drama films Category:Russian-language mystery drama films Category:Soviet horror drama films Category:Soviet fantasy drama films Category:Soviet horror films Category:Russian supernatural horror films Category:Russian dark fantasy films Category:Russian mystery drama films Category:Surrealist films Category:Magical realism films Category:Alexander Grin Category:Films based on short fiction