At The Movies: The Promised Land

Screening at Palace Cinemas now for the 2024 Saxo Scandinavian Film Festival…

I have been a long-time fan of Mads Mikkelsen (especially in the Hannibal series) and he doesn’t disappoint in this historical drama of gritty determination in the face of harsh natural elements and ruthless power-hungry people.

For many decades, Danish kings had tried to settle the harsh Jutland Heath area of Denmark. Very experienced settlers had tried to tame the wild and inhospitable country, to grow crops in perma-frost soil – all unsuccessfully. In 1755, Captain Ludvig Kahlen approached the Royal Treasury in Copenhagen to seek permission to settle the area. When told that no more funds would ever be provided for another attempt, he said he would fund it himself from his military pension – which was a mere pittance. In return, and if successful, he sought a noble title and an estate with servants. They agreed, assured that, like all the others, he would fail.

The Jutland area is very bleak and exposed, complete with outlaw gangs, so Kahlen has his work cut out. On his first outing he is confronted by an outlaw trying to rob him. Accordingly, his attempts to lure workers to help build the settlement appear to be futile, until Pastor Anton Eklund introduces him to a fugitive couple, Johannes and Ann Barbara, escaping a brutal master.

He is invited to attend a dinner at the luxurious home of Frederick De Schinkel, who claimed he owned the land – though Kahlen said it belonged to the King and that he had approval to farm it. De Schinkel tried to force him to sign a contract which would bind him to the self-appointed “landlord”. Though appearing as quite menacing, Kahlen refuses to sign. By the time he returns to the Heath his workers, apart from the Pastor and Johannes and Ann Barbara, have all gone – being offered double pay from De Schinkel.

Kahlen catches a young dark-skinned girl, Anmai Mas, trying to steal chickens and forces her to take him to the Tater gang so that he can entice them to work for him. De Schinkel is furious when he finds out and is more determined than ever to oust the would-be settler.

I won’t give any more details about the story, which is really captivating. It is a constant battle for Kahlen against weather conditions and dirty tactics from De Schinkel. He never gives up hope and his determination is admirable. The movie is based on the novel “The Captain and Ann Barbara” by Ida Jessen. More importantly, the novel is inspired by the true story of Captain Ludvig Kahlen who wanted to settle the Jutland Heath. He was a retired Captain who served with the German army for twenty years.

Mads Mikkelsen has this knack of saying nothing, but maintaining a stoic expression that says everything. He does it to perfection in this excellent movie, which is well-worth seeing!

Movie Review by John Glennie

Rating: MA 15+
Runtime: 127 minutes
Danish movie with English subtitles