In Denmark, in 1755, a penniless ex-captain of the German army undertook to colonize the arid lands of Jutland in order to obtain a title of nobility.
If there is a genre that Danish director Nikolaj Arcel (The dark tower) mastery, it is indeed the historical drama. In The promised landnot only does he reconnect with the imperial Mads Mikkelsen, he also plunges back into 18th century Denmarke century 11 years after the magnificent Royal connectioncamped in 1766, where he was interested in the loves of the English queen Caroline Mathilde, wife of the mad king Christian, and her German doctor.
This time, the action transports us to 1755, a time when Jutland, which would become the scene of the largest naval battle during the First World War, had not yet been colonized. Returning penniless from Germany, ex-captain Ludvig Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen) wants to grow potatoes there in the hope of attracting settlers and being ennobled by the king. In addition to bad weather, wolves and thieves lurking in the forest, Kahlen will have to fight against Frederik De Schinkel (Simon Bennebjerg), a cruel noble evoking in a darker way the eccentric king from Arcel’s previous film.
Supporting Kahlen will be pastor Anton Eklund (Gustav Lindh), Ann Barbara (Amanda Collin), Schinkel’s former maid, and Edel Helene (Kristine Kujath Thorp), Schinkel’s cousin whom the latter wishes to marry. You will have probably already guessed that a love triangle is on the horizon. The ex-soldier will also find a precious ally in the person of a little gypsy, Anmai Mus (Melina Hagberg), whose luminous presence will allow a few moments of humor, and a touch of melodrama, in this drama which is also dry in places. as the lands of Jutland.
Written with Anders Thomas Jensen (After the weddingby Susanne Bier), based on the book by Ida Jessen, The promised land is based on a story with a romantic feel whose issues, although classic, prove captivating. If the sworn enemy and the opponents of the projects of the valiant and visionary hero often border on caricature, the latter hides behind his stoicism a dark side which prevents the whole thing from sinking into the most simplistic Manichaeism.
Even more than the many obstacles that accumulate with the seasons, what makes this page of Danish history fascinating is the sumptuousness of Nikolaj Arcel’s staging. With his faithful accomplice Rasmus Videbaek in photography, the filmmaker creates images of hypnotic lyricism. Behind closed doors with enveloping shadows and nocturnal scenes bathed in unreassuring light are followed by grandiose sequences during which aerial camera movements reveal the inhospitable nature of Jutland in all its splendor, thus making The promised land an ode to the courage of Kahlen and the settlers who believed in him.
Indoors
The film will be presented in the original Danish version with English subtitles and with French subtitles.
Check the movie schedule
Historical drama
Bastarden (V. F.: The promised land)
Nikolaj Arcel
Mads Mikkelsen, Amanda Collin, Kristine Kujath Thorp
2 hours