Cinematic Point Of View

Director: Nikolaj Arcel

Cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Amanda Collin, Simon Bennebjerg

Set in 1755 Denmark, The Promised Land is a sweeping, beautifully shot historical drama about ambition, resilience, and butting heads with the social order.

What’s It About

Mads Mikkelsen plays Ludvig Kahlen, the illegitimate son of an 18th-century Danish estate owner and his housekeeper. Ludvig dreams of making a name for himself and leaving his miserable past behind. The Danish King wants someone to cultivate the Jutland heath, a barren wasteland where many have tried and failed. Ludvig presents his plan to the royal council, and after much debate they begrudgingly accept, sending him off on a fool’s errand to appease the King. If he somehow succeeds, he gets a title and land of his own. There’s a one in a million chance.

Why You Should Watch It

First of all, Mads Mikkelsen. Always excellent. Anything he’s in is worth watching. Ludvig is a complex character — determined and stubborn, but also empathetic and forgiving. He gets put through the wringer, forced to make tough decisions and question his own values time and time again. What price is he willing to pay to see his dream fulfilled?

The Promised Land is basically a Danish western. A man alone trying to tame the wilderness, the odds stacked against him, and everyone around him looking to kill him, rob him, or run him off the land. The struggle is real, and it gets rough.

Watching the movie is never a struggle, though. It moves quickly and brings in a handful of interesting supporting characters. Class. Sexism. Racism. Loyalty. Betrayal. Love. Family. There’s a lot going on here.

The cinematography by Rasmus Videbæk is breathtaking. The drab and desolate beauty of the Danish landscape and it’s unforgiving weather are the perfect mirror for the multitude of struggles within this story.

I also really enjoyed the score by Dan Romer. It feels modern and classical at the same time. It’s one I’ll track down to listen to while working for sure.

The Promised Land was a pleasant surprise — honestly one of the better movies I’ve seen this past year. It’s epic and intimate at once, which is my favorite kind of period piece. It deserves to be called a modern classic; it just flew under the radar, and I can’t figure out why.

I highly recommend this one!