In his blockbuster appearances, Mads Mikkelsen is usually cast as the antagonist. In “The Promised Land”, which was filmed in his native Denmark, he is once again cast as a – admittedly somewhat ambivalent – hero. Here is the trailer:
Of course “The Promised Land” is not a real western, because by definition they can only be set in North America. But such formalities have not bothered filmmakers such as the Austrian Andreas Prochaska or the Australian John Hillcoat, when they set successful genre contributions in their respective home countries with “The Dark Valley” and “The Proposition” respectively. So, of course, the Dane Nikolaj Arcel (“The Dark Tower”) is allowed to locate his archaic Wild West story in the Jutland wilderness.
Following its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, the film has had numerous screenings in recent weeks at events in North America as well as at Filmfest Hamburg, where it celebrated its German premiere. A nationwide theatrical release of “The Promised Land” is being planned, but has not yet been scheduled.
The Promised Land” is based on the novel “Kaptajnen og Ann Barbara” by Ida Jessen. We have already seen the film with “James Bond 007 – Casino Royale” and “Indiana Jones and the Wheel of Destiny” star Mads Mikkelsen. In his FILMSTARTS review, author Björn Becher gives the film an average of two and a half stars out of a possible five. He criticizes the seemingly uninteresting antagonist of Mikkelsen’s character, but praises the strong performance of the lead actor and the revenge action that builds up towards the end.
“THE PROMISED LAND”: THIS IS THE STORY
For a long time, the Danish royal family has wished that the wild Jutland heath in the west of the country would finally be settled. But so far, no one has had any success in doing so on the land, which is considered barren and terrorized by wolves. Then in 1755, impoverished Captain Ludvig Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen) decides to build a settlement there after his military service ends.
Despite all the signs that make failure likely, Kahlen is determined – after all, he has brought a kind of secret weapon from Germany that he wants to plant here. To do this, however, he must first build a house and prepare some fields. The local nobleman Frederik de Schinkel (Simon Bennebjerg) does not take kindly to this plan. He is firmly convinced that the area belongs to him alone and not to the king.
A brutal conflict between the men soon ensues. This is further intensified when Kahlen takes in Johannes (Morten Hee Andersen) and Ann Barbara (Amanda Collin), the serfs who have escaped from the Schinkel’s clutches. Finally, even Helene (Kristine Kujath Thorp), chosen by his adversary as a future bride, casts an eye on the newcomer …
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