A shipping magnate's son obsession sinks the whole fleet. Dickens knew capitalism was a horror show.
The dream of Paul Dombey, the wealthy owner of the shipping company, is to have a son to continue his business. Tragically, Dombey's wife dies shortly after giving birth to their son.
Acting
Oleg Dal's Paul Dombey Jr. breaks your heart before he even speaks.
Production
Soviet-era Dickens: opulent sets that feel like a haunted dollhouse.
Director
Valery Fokin
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This 1974 Soviet TV film was part of state-funded 'high culture' programming—Dickens as approved Western literature that still critiqued capitalism.
Oleg Dal, who played Paul Jr., died by suicide in 1981; his fragile performance now carries unbearable real-world weight.
SU
