Review: The Promised Land
DVD & Blu-ray: The Promised Land (2023)
The Promised Land (or ‘Bastarden’) couples together director by Nikolaj Arcel (A Royal Affair) and Mads Mikkelsen in another superior Danish Historical epic.
In the late 1700’s the king of Denmark decides to encourage people to populate Jutland, a moor that nothing will grow on and where several people have died trying. In 1755, Captain Ludvig Kahlen (Madsen), a recently retired and poor Danish officer decides to give Jutland a go, and in return of his promised success, he asks for a noble title and a manor befitting a lord.
However, after arriving in Jutland he comes to the notice of the local landowner and Lord, Frederich De Schinkel (Simon Bennebjerg), who is also the magistrate and who’s not happy at someone burgeoning on his power.
Kahlen can’t get any workers so ends up employing two runaway ex-workers of De Schinkel, Johannes Eriksen and his wife Ann Barbara (Amanda Collin), who were treated very badly by him. Put into the mix the cousin/fiancée of De Schinkel who fancies Kahlen and a gang of gypsies, all set in 18th century Denmark and … you’re on a winner.
The story is interesting, made gripping by the wonderful acting (Mads seems incapable of being in a crap film), the sets are wonderful and the whole vibe of the film takes you away to a barren wasteland where you hope there’s no frost to kill the potatoes.
The Promised Land is simply one of those ‘good’ films that will be missed by a lot of people because it’s subtitled. For me, it’s unmissable.
