A Fortunate Man

Peter Sidenius is accepted to study engineering at a university, marking the start of his break from rural life. He leaves Jutland for Copenhagen to pursue his education and independence. He also rejects his father's pocket watch, a symbol of the old life and religious constraint.

In Copenhagen, Peter encounters the vibrancy and temptations of urban life. He befriends a waitress who introduces him to new social circles and a more liberal worldview. The move marks a clear shift from provincial life toward modern possibilities.

Peter meets Ivan Salomon, a member of a wealthy Jewish banking family who sees potential in him. Ivan supports Peter's grand idea of harnessing water and wind power to electrify the country. Peter enters a circle of free-thinking intellectuals and businessmen, gaining influence and resources.

Jakobe Salomon, who was to marry Eybert, falls in love with Peter. Peter is drawn to her intelligence and passion, and their bond begins to challenge the expectations of their social circle. The relationship foreshadows a conflict between love and family duty.

Peter fails to secure ministerial approval for his canal and energy project. Phillip Salomon decides to send Peter to Austria to further his studies and to seek broader validation from scholars. The move signals a new phase in his professional ascent.

Jakobe travels to Vienna to visit Peter, breaking family norms by crossing borders for love. Their relationship deepens, and Jakobe becomes pregnant, tying their fates even more tightly together. The personal stakes rise alongside Peter's ambitions.

Scholars in Austria validate Peter's ideas, and Ivan Salomon along with his father secure financial backing. With support secured, Jakobe and Peter begin wedding plans and even discuss a joint trip to England, signaling a future that ambition seems to promise.

Peter's destitute widowed mother moves to Copenhagen and begs him to return to Christian faith. She attempts to return his father's pocket watch, but Peter refuses and leaves, signaling a deepening rift with his family and past.

A project meeting is set and everything appears ready, but the local government minister withholds approval. Peter's pride and a heated outburst seal the project's fate, showing how personal temperament can derail grand ambition. The dream of the canal and energy scheme begins to crumble.

Peter's mother dies and leaves him the pocket watch along with a letter of advice. He takes her body back to Jutland for burial beside his father, a somber milepost that forces him to confront legacy and loss. The watch becomes a silent, lingering symbol of the past.

While staying in the countryside, Peter's gaze (and his restlessness) turns toward Inger, the vicar's daughter. He experiences restless nights and a growing sense of existential crisis, convinced that his father’s curse and God’s judgment weigh on him. The search for meaning intensifies away from city life.

Peter returns to Copenhagen and calls off his engagement with Jakobe. Jakobe remains pregnant, but the couple never publicly confirms their future together, and she ultimately undergoes a private abortion. The rupture ends their shared dream of a future as a couple.

Peter marries Inger and they have three children, but happiness remains elusive. He becomes emotionally distant from his wife and children, retreating into his own thoughts and ambitions rather than family life. The family portrait is quiet, strained, and unsettled.

Jakobe inherits what would have been her share and uses it to start a charity school for abandoned and orphaned children in Copenhagen. Her act of philanthropy contrasts with Peter's restless drive and marks a different way to shape the future. The school becomes a lasting legacy for her resilience.

Peter writes a last letter to Jakobe, revealing he is dying of cancer and bequeathing his meager estate to her school. He dies and Jakobe makes one final trip to Jutland to visit him. In the final scene, Peter walks to the shoreline at the site where he once celebrated his university admission, a poignant closure to a life split between ambition and longing.