Note to self: Don't take over the family business because all it will lead to is misery and self-destruction. I wish the main character of the film knew that, but if he did we wouldn't have a story. The film opens with the main character happy and content with owning and running a restaurant while his pretty wife acts on the stage. His idyllic life is shatttered when his father commits suicide, forcing him to take over the family steel conglomerate to save it from financial collapse.

What he doesn't realize is that this job will demand so much of his him that he will have to choose between his wife and being loyal to the family. Being the responsible eldest, he chooses his family and loses his wife, his son and his idyllic life to become a shell of a man, a mere shadow of his former self devoid of any emotion, care and compassion. Relentlessly depicting the dark side of capitalism, the film shows how easily one can lose himself and his decency all in the name of "business." This film is a definite morality play that is extrememly relevant to a world that values wealth and possessions over love and affection, for, though he provides a lavish life for his wife, she knows that's not what life's about and leaves him to wallow in his self-made misery. Definitely not an upper, the film is still vital, especially to foreign film buffs who will find this Denmark film to be a gem.