Dmitri Desgoffe-und-Taxis
[ Information/Companion site on Dmitri Desgoffe-und-Taxis (@MalignusNobiles Twitter roleplay account). Roleplay purposes only. Some of the information that may be given, is developed by me and only me for roleplay purposes and is not mentioned in the Grand Budapest Hotel movie nor is official information about the character. ]
Dmitri Desgoffe-und-Taxis, often simply called Dmitri, is the main antagonist of Wes Anderson's 2014 film, The Grand Budapest Hotel. He is the greedy son of a widowed noblewoman of the Eastern European Republic of Zubrowka, and seeks to buy off or kill anyone between him and his mother's fortune.
He is portrayed by Adrien Brody.
Biographical Information
▸ Full Name: Dmitri Desgoffe-und-Taxis.
▸ Birthday: 1st of November.
▸ Zodiac Sign: Scorpio. ♏︎
▸ Age: 41
▸ Height: Tall (1,85m / 6ft1)
▸ Hair: Wavy, untamed black hair
▸ Eyes: Green
▸ Skin colour: Pale
▸ Favourite colours: Red and Black.
▸ Religion: Originally Alpine Catholicism † which is the predominant religion of Zubrowka but Dmitri prefers to remain an atheist.
▸ Sexuality: Heterosexual.
▸ Family: Frederick Desgoffe-und-Taxis (father, † deceased)
Celine Villeneuve Desgoffe-und-Taxis (mother)
Marguerite, Laetizia & Carolina (eldest sister by at least 10 years)
Gregor Lagerfeld (uncle, half-brother of his mother once removed)
▸Occupation: Zubrowkan nobleman, Count of the Zubrowkan Lowlands, Lord of Schloss Lutz, Brigadier General, Executive member of the Zig-Zag Division (ZZ) which was a Fascist militant organisation determimed to revolutionise Zubrowka, take control of the government and rid the country of immigrants among other things.
▸ Powers/Skills: Enormous wealth, Intelligence, Gunmanship
▸ Goals: Murder his mother for her fortune (succeeded),
Send Gustave H. to prison. (succeeded for a short while)
Obtain the "Boy With Apple" painting from him and have sole control of his mother fortune (failed).
Additional Information & Facts
▸ Knowledge of languages: English, German, French, Czech, Russian, Hungarian, Polish, Italian.
▸ Heavy drinker, smoker, drug user and sex addict.
▸ Night owl but not a morning person at all. (unless he has to to be somewhere)
▸ Cold weather lover (absolutely can't stand the heat) and prefers the mountains instead of the beaches.
▸ He is both a pessimist and an optimist. Although he tries hard when he wishes to achieve something, he remains fairly grounded for the results which can sometimes lead to the other end of being a pessimist.
▸ Favourite animal: Horse
▸ Favourite kind of food: Loves traditional Zubrowkan cuisine which of course combines many elements of European cuisine in general.
▸ Favourite instrument: Piano and the violin.
▸ While normally, he is perceived as an extrovert, Dmitri has his strong introvert moments, depending on his mood.
▸Although he is a very intelligent person, Dmitri tends to be very emotional so most of the times, his decisions are affected by emotion rather than rationality.
Character History
Dmitri was born to one of the last remaining noble families in Europe, the Desgoffe-und-Taxis family. Given the fact that Zubrowka has been the "melting pot" of nationalities, lineages and heritages, Dmitri's family is no exception from this. He has extended relations throughout Europe, most of those relations gathered in Germany and France However, despite all of this information, Dmitri identifies as a true Zubrowkan at heart.
Dmitri is the only son of the wealthy 84-year-old Dowager Countess Celine Villeneuve Desgoffe-und-Taxis, known as "Madame D." He has got three sisters, around 10 years his senior named Marguerite, Laetizia, and Carolina.
After his father's sudden death, who Dmitri has little to no memories of, his mother took the control of the vast inheritances of the family, among them being the mansion known as "Schoss Lutz", The Grand Budapest Hotel, the largest cement and glue factories in Europe as well as medicine and textile factories.
The Countess was described by Dmitri as a "powerhouse", having taught her children with a firm hand and when that wasn't enough, with a pine switch (the scars that are retained across Dmitri's back to this day are the proof of it) as well as using isolation in small places and dungeons as means of discipline. Never one for sentiment, she was abusive and uncaring to her four children, only preferring the company of much younger-than-her lovers that she had gathered over the years. In short, she loathed her own children and they loathed her back.
Although Dmitri always missed his homeland, he was somehow glad he was sent to boarding school in Switzerland so that he did not have to put up with his mother and her affairs for half a year at least.
Upon graduating, Dmitri decided to pursue a military career at the Zubrowkan army simply because of his undying love for his homeland and because it was a quite profitable career from which he could expand the family wealth and the connections.
► THE EVENTS AS WE SEE THEM IN THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL MOVIE
Dmitri is first seen in 1932 (in the Grand Budapest Hotel movie) at the reading of the will of his late mother, Countess Celine Villeneuve Desgoffe-und-Taxis ("Madame D."), accompanied by his assistant and enforcer, J.G. Jopling. He learns that while he and his three sisters will inherit the bulk of his mother's fortune, her most valuable possession, a painting titled "Boy With Apple," will be left to her friend and lover, a hotel concierge named Gustave H. A pre-existing enmity seems to exist between Dmitri and Gustave, who insults the latter's sexuality on several occasions. Correctly deducing that Dmitri will not let any part of his mother's fortune escape him, Gustave and his protege, the lobby boy Zero Moustafa, steal the painting later that night, accompanied by Madame D.'s butler Serge and maid Clotilde.
When the medical examiner reports that Madame D. had in fact been murdered by poison, Dmitri and Jopling threaten Serge's life until he accuses Gustave of the crime and has him sent to prison; Serge subsequently flees the household. It is implied, though not expressly stated, that Dmitri and Jopling are behind the murder, as a bottle of strychnine is at one point seen on the latter's desk.
Dmitri is next seen attempting to bribe his mother's lawyer, Kovacs, into giving him and his sisters sole control of the fortune; when Kovacs remains adamant that he represents Madame D.'s interests, not Dmitri's, Jopling kills Kovacs' pet cat, and then Kovacs himself later that night. Dmitri next sends Jopling to torture and kill Serge's sister, the only person with whom Serge has been corresponding, for information on his whereabouts. In the meantime, Gustave has escaped from prison and, with the aid of Zero and the Society of the Crossed Keys, a secret society of hotel concierges, also tracks down Serge, who is hiding in a mountaintop monastery at Gabelmeister's Peak. Serge discloses that Madame D. drafted a second will, prescribing a different heir should she be murdered (he reveals the existence of a copy of this second will, the original second will conceivably destroyed by Dmitri), but Serge is garroted by Jopling before he can say where it is hidden; shortly thereafter, Jopling is also killed in the ensuing fight with Gustave and Zero when the latter pushes him from a precipice.
Dmitri is seen entering the Grand Budapest as war in Zubrowka becomes imminent. The hotel has, at this point become "a troop's barracks," under the control of a Fascist movement in the region (the Zig-Zag Division, of which Dmitri is a part, as evidenced by a ZZ armband and pin he wears). Zero's fiancee, Agatha, is sent into the Grand Budapest to retrieve Boy With Apple, using instructions left by Zero, Gustave and Zero following her into the hotel (once they spot Dmitri entering), disguised as pastry deliverymen. Dmitri successfully (albeit by chance) discovers Agatha smuggling Boy With Apple, and proceeds to pursue her. However, he loses sight of her and runs into Gustave and Zero instead. He ultimately corners both within a service elevator, firing various shots in their general direction, which sparks an impromptu shootout with several soldiers boarding the hotel. Lutz Police Militia officer Henckels arrives, attempting to put an end to the shooting by placing everyone in sight under arrest. Meanwhile, Agatha (still thinking Dmitri is in her pursuit) falls from a window on the sixth floor of the Grand Budapest, Zero diving in behind her (and falling himself). They manage to spot the second will hidden behind Boy With Apple as they precariously hang from a railing. The Second Copy of the Second Will is successfully retrieved, along with Boy With Apple. Henckels pores over the contents of the copy of the second will, which names M. Gustave as sole heir in the event of Mme. D's death by murder. Gustave is vindicated and the now-penniless Dmitri flees for his life, never to be seen again.
► DESGOFFE-UND-TAXIS FAMILY HISTORY
▪ Type of family: Zubrowkan nobility
▪ Since: High Middle Ages (c. 1200 A.D , 12th-13th century)
▪ Origins: Lombardy, Northwest Italy
▪ Name evolution:
♕ c. 1200 (12th-13th century) Lombardy, Northwest Italy ➥ Tasso family
♕ c. 1443 (15th century) Holy Roman Empire ➥ de Tassis family (Named to the court of emperor Frederick III, knighthood granted for the excellent service in war) - Other possible variations of the name: Daxen, von Taxis, de Tasche
♕ c. 1516 (16th century) Dutchy of Brabant - Habsburg Netherlands (modern day Belgium, Brussels), merging of the Goffe family and the de Tassis family forming the French title of ➥ de Goffe et Tassis
♕ 1624 (17th century) The family were elevated to grafen ("counts") of the Zubrowkan Lowlands (Zubrowka then being part of the Holy Roman Empire) and they formally adopted the current German form of their name ➥ Desgoffe-und-Taxis
Alternative Universe Concepts
Under construction
Ongoing Romance Storylines
Under construction
Quotes
❝ If I learn you ever once laid a finger on my mother's body, living or dead, I swear to God, I'll cut your throat! You hear me? ❞
━ Dmitri to Gustave H.
❝ This criminal has plagued my family for nearly 20 years. He's a ruthless adventurer and a con artist who preys on mentally feeble, sick old ladies! And he probably fucks them, too! ❞
━ Dmitri about Gustave H.
❝ That's Gustave H., the escaped murderer and art thief! I've got him cornered! ❞
━ Dmitri to Inspector Albert Henckels
❝ You're not getting Boy with Apple, you goddamn little fruit! ❞
━ Dmitri to Gustave H.
❝ What's the meaning of this shit? ❞
━ Dmitri to his sisters upon discovering the painting's disappearance
❝ Are you fucking kidding me?! ❞
━ Dmitri to his sisters about the painting's disappearance
❝ Where's Boy With Apple?! ❞
━ Dmitri to Gustave H.
❝ Talk to the club-footed sister again. And this time, be persuasive. ❞
━ Dmitri to Jopling
❝ Just wrap it up and don't make waves. Agreed? ❞
━ Dmitri to Deputy Kovacs
Writer's Information
▸ English speaker
▸ +18 content
▸ Descriptive / Banter
▸ MV (Multi-Verse) / Crossovers / Any era
▸ MS (Multi-Ship) / Heterosexual / Ships with chemistry