On April 18, the historical drama «The Promised Land», based on the novel «The Captain and Ann Barbara» (2020) by Danish writer Ida Jessen, was released in cinemas. Last year, the film was nominated for the highest award at the Venice Film Festival, and was also nominated for «Oscar» from Denmark, however, did not make it to the final five nominees. In this review, we analyze how Mads Mikkelsen’s steadfast character looks against the backdrop of complete lawlessness in eighteenth-century Denmark and why his farming is so interesting to watch.
Genre historical drama
Director Nikolaj Arcel
Starring Mads Mikkelsen, Amanda Collin, Simon Bennebjerg, Kristin Kuyt Torp, Gustav Lind
Premiere movie theaters
Year of issue 2023
Website IMDb
Denmark, 1755. Retired captain Ludwig Kalen, after a quarter-century of service, comes to the Royal Court with a crazy proposal. He asks for permission to develop the barren wastelands of Jutland, as this will allow the colonists to settle there, which will be beneficial to everyone, including the king. The authorities are surprised and frankly do not believe in the success of the idea, but when they hear that Kalen is ready to finance everything on his own, they dismissively give their approval.
However, obtaining permission from the authorities turned out to be the easiest task for the captain. Upon arrival, he is forced to enter into a fierce confrontation with the local aristocrat and landowner, Friedrich Schinkel. He does disagree that some arrogant stranger with silly agricultural ambitions will be managing his supposedly owned property.
«The Promised Land» was directed by Danish director and screenwriter Nikolaj Arcel, whose previous work was the long-suffering adaptation of Stephen King’s «The Dark Tower». But Arcel’s screenwriting career is much better: his filmography includes, for example, «The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo», thanks to which Noomi Rapace gained worldwide recognition, or the critically acclaimed «Riders of Justice», which also featured Mads Mikkelsen.
The Danish director’s new film is about justice, following the mold of a traditional dramatic plot with a pronounced, even western conflict at its center. This means that the story does not imply any surprises or a new look at the genre. This, however, does not prevent it from gradually immersing you in the intricacies of local intrigues and eliminating any indifference to the cold Scandinavian wastelands.
It’s not just the extraordinary charisma of Mads Mikkelsen, one of the greatest actors of his generation, but the fact that the authors managed to correctly place black and white on the chessboard. That is, in such a way that the viewer focuses on the main thing and willingly chooses the obvious side when a number of insurmountable obstacles appear on the protagonist’s path.
Here, if the local degenerate landlord doesn’t pester them, a sudden frost will strike, threatening the entire crop (farming has never been so exciting on screen). And when the opportunity finally arises to fight back against blatant class injustice, racist medieval prejudices will pop up out of nowhere.
«The Promised Land» is almost devoid of action and does not offer exciting entertainment in the spirit of large-scale historical epics. So if someone was counting on majestic battles, it’s better to avoid this movie and wait for the second one «Gladiator» by Ridley Scott.
Instead, the unhurried narrative, which features a lot of static and little movement, gives all its space to the characters and their interactions. The captain’s steadfastness and determination, perfectly conveyed by Mikkelson, have a sincere audience response, allowing you to truly feel the fate of the protagonist and his environment. In contrast, the villain is the cruel and somewhat caricatured rich man Schinkel, who evokes only disgust and nothing but disgust. Female characters play an important role in the course of events.
As time goes on, the methods of struggle become more radical, Mikkelsen’s eyes become more determined, and the conflict more principled, so there is no question of boredom. Someone’s blood is bound to be spilled on the barely farmable land, and it’s not only the slaughtered cattle that will be the salvation in the hungry and merciless winter.
Overall, it’s a heavy, but no less fascinating, where Mads Mikkelsen’s infinitely sad gaze fits perfectly into the bleak setting of the endless heathland. Stubborn determination and disdainful arrogance, compassion and cruelty, in the end, good and evil walk side by side, and with the help of these extremes, a strong drama about the eternal confrontation is built.
This expressive black-and-white simplicity is precisely where the power of the story lies because the inner spectator will categorically demand justice. And when everyone gets what they deserve, they will humbly settle down with a sense of deep satisfaction.