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 ripe with themes of ambition, resilience, and the struggle against societal hierarchies.

What’s It About

Mads Mikkelsen plays Ludvig Kahlen, the illegitimate son of an 8th-century Denmark estate owner and his housekeeper. Ludvig dreams of making a name for himself and leaving his miserable past behind. The Danish King wants to cultivate a barren wasteland called the Jutland heath. Many have tried and failed. Ludvig presents his plan to the council, and after much debate, the council begrudgingly accepts and send him on this fool’s errand to appease the King. If he is successful though, the King will give him a title and land. 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. His character Ludvig is very complex. Determined, stubborn, but also empathetic and forgiving. He’s put through the ringer having to make tough decisions and question his own virtues, time and time again. What price is he willing to pay to see his dreams fulfilled?

The Promised Land is basically a Danish western. You have a man is on his own trying to tame the wilderness, the odds are stacked against him, and everyone around him wants to kill him, rob him, or kick him off their land. The struggle is real and it gets really rough.

Watching this movie was not a struggle though. It moves along quickly and brings in a handful of interesting supporting characters to root for or against. Class dynamics. Sexism. Racism. Loyalty. Betrayal. Love. Family. There’s a lot going on.

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 for me. Honestly it’s one of the better movies I saw this past year. It feels both epic and intimate, which is my favorite kind of period piece. I’d say it could be a modern classic but it seems like it’s a movie that flew under the radar for some reason.

I highly recommend this one!