After the Wedding - Craig Walters

I believe as much as we can look at the ‘fat capitalist pig’s’ remission for his sins through monetary graciousness as insincere, we should be able to see that Jorgen is providing for his family outside of economics as sincere as one possibly can. I’m sure he could’ve brought Jacob around well before the present time of the film, however he is attempting to find stability for his family for which he knows no money can provide, which is a father, and possibly a husband, for his loved ones. As much as we have passed judgment on Jorgen, even as Jacob often does in the movie, I think we could also ask the same question of Jacob. I don’t think there can be much of a debate of who is the better person between Jorgen and Jacob, they are individuals of different circumstances. Jacob, not having a family (to his knowledge), did not have any obligations to anyone other than himself and could more purely choose what to do with his life, where as Jorgen has built himself a family with which he is responsible to. This basically boils down to ethnics, which are not absolute. I think what the East is to Jacob is what Anna and Helene are to Jorgen, both groups being dependant upon the later while in many senses dictating the obligations of the individual.