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Adam may be "a husband, and a father, in that order," but Jude definitely ends up choosing to be a father first and husband second.
In fact, Jude's character is so strongly defined by being a father that I felt that I really had to include the baby in any portrait of him. Interestingly, every single screencap and promo I could find of him holding the baby is backlit; instead of the light source being in front of him, Jude's face is only lit by reflected light, and it's too consistent to be accidental. Even the very last shot of them is backlit, with Jude and the boy framed by the setting sun.
Originally I was thinking that this was because Jude is a bit of a grey character, both a villain and a hero, but now I'm not so sure that's the whole story. Mina did get pregnant because he didn't pull out when she told him to, and he does slap her out of sheer frustration in the heat of an incredibly tense argument about caring for the baby. But the more I look at the rest of his choices, the more it's clear that he was only doing his flawed, human, best to do the right thing for the baby, while trying to keep the peace with his wife. He loved her deeply, but we see him slowly come to the realization that Mina was delusional, and that her delusion didn't allow her to see how she was actively harming her own child. From then on it's a game of cat and mouse, with him attempting to give their child the extra care and feedings he needs, without arousing Mina's suspicions.
Eventually it becomes clear to Jude that any access Mina has to her child just allows her to harm him. His drastic action of having his mother essentially kidnap the baby precipitates the chain of events that leads to Mina's death. It plays out like a Greek tragedy, with each action feeling inevitable, both parents desperate to care for their child, both willing to do just about anything to keep him safe. While Jude didn't pull the trigger, his desperation and despair when Mina reclaims custody are what prompt his mother to choose to murder Mina, so that custody will revert to Jude.
In the end, Jude's identity as a husband and his love for his wife are entirely eclipsed by his paternal instincts.
I could go on about how the tragedies in this movie were preventable, had Mina been able (and willing) to access good mental health care, but that's a rant for a different place.
8.5 hours to make this one.
In fact, Jude's character is so strongly defined by being a father that I felt that I really had to include the baby in any portrait of him. Interestingly, every single screencap and promo I could find of him holding the baby is backlit; instead of the light source being in front of him, Jude's face is only lit by reflected light, and it's too consistent to be accidental. Even the very last shot of them is backlit, with Jude and the boy framed by the setting sun.
Originally I was thinking that this was because Jude is a bit of a grey character, both a villain and a hero, but now I'm not so sure that's the whole story. Mina did get pregnant because he didn't pull out when she told him to, and he does slap her out of sheer frustration in the heat of an incredibly tense argument about caring for the baby. But the more I look at the rest of his choices, the more it's clear that he was only doing his flawed, human, best to do the right thing for the baby, while trying to keep the peace with his wife. He loved her deeply, but we see him slowly come to the realization that Mina was delusional, and that her delusion didn't allow her to see how she was actively harming her own child. From then on it's a game of cat and mouse, with him attempting to give their child the extra care and feedings he needs, without arousing Mina's suspicions.
Eventually it becomes clear to Jude that any access Mina has to her child just allows her to harm him. His drastic action of having his mother essentially kidnap the baby precipitates the chain of events that leads to Mina's death. It plays out like a Greek tragedy, with each action feeling inevitable, both parents desperate to care for their child, both willing to do just about anything to keep him safe. While Jude didn't pull the trigger, his desperation and despair when Mina reclaims custody are what prompt his mother to choose to murder Mina, so that custody will revert to Jude.
In the end, Jude's identity as a husband and his love for his wife are entirely eclipsed by his paternal instincts.
I could go on about how the tragedies in this movie were preventable, had Mina been able (and willing) to access good mental health care, but that's a rant for a different place.
8.5 hours to make this one.
