The story of Ludvig Kahlen who pursued his lifelong dream: To make the heath bring him wealth and honor.

Mads Mikkelsen is one of my favourite actors and I’ll watch pretty much anything with him in it, even if that is a Danish period drama about a dispute over land in the 1700s. It helps also that ‘The Promised Land’ is directed by Nikolaj Arcel, who previously made a brilliant period drama with Mikkelsen called ‘A Royal Affair’, although he hasn’t done much since besides the ill-fated ‘The Dark Tower’ movie adaptation. In fact, the only thing this movie doesn’t have going for it is that they’ve got rid of the far superior title for the U.K. release in ‘Bastarden’, which I’m sure you can translate for yourselves.

In ‘The Promised Land’, Mikkelsten stars as Ludvig Kahlen, a retired German Army captain who takes on the challenge of cultivating the Jutland moorland, which had previously been thought to be untameable. He aims to develop the land and establish a settlement on the property, in exchange for noble titles and a manor house, but he is aware that this will not be easy, not least because any success will attract the attention of the various wealthy landowners in the surrounding areas who will want their piece. One of them is Frederik Schinkel (who comically insists people call him Frederik ‘De’ Schinkel to make him sound more noble), played with villainous glee by Simon Bennebjerg, a cruel and merciless landowner who uses his influence as a local magistrate to maintain control over the local people. Kahlen and Schinkel immediately clash, and their battle of wills and wits will dominate large parts of the movie.

Alongside this conflict, the movie follows Kahlen’s attempts to cultivate the land in harsh conditions, with limited support, funding and food to keep himself, his housekeeper Ann Barbara (Amanda Collin) and a young Romani girl Anmai Mus (Melina Hagberg) healthy. These three individuals form a family of sorts, and it is surprisingly riveting to follow their progress in attempting to plant and grow a successful crop of potatoes. I think a large part of that is down to Mikkelsen and his steely glare, which can make just about any material engaging, even the planting of potatoes. If you’re looking for more action you will get it in the latter part of the film, as the conflict between Schinkel and Kahlen kicks up a notch, and the benefits of Kahlen’s background come to the fore, and I found myself really invested in the fate of these characters as the problems start to mount up. If there’s a criticism, it is that perhaps it chooses sentimentality over realism in how it plays out, but it can be forgiven for that given what it puts its characters through.

‘The Promised Land’ is another top film from Denmark, and another film that showcases the brilliant talents of Mads Mikkelsen. This is a Western tale with a Nordic edge, commanded by Mikkelsen in a riveting tale of power, violence and the strength of individuals who manage to make a living and a life amidst the harshest conditions. Denmark continues to produce the best of European cinema.

Rating: 4/5

Directed By: Nikolaj Arcel

Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Amanda Collin, Simon Bennebjerg, Melina Hagberg, Kristine Kujath Thorp, Gustav Lindh, Morten Hee Andersen, Thomas W. Gabrielsson, Magnus Krepper and Søren Malling

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt20561198/