King's Land

Anchored by an emotionally arresting performance from the ever-reliable Mads Mikkelsen, The Promised Land (Bastarden) employs the expansive canvas of an epic to narrate its small-scale, intimate human drama and expertly balances the heartwarming with the harrowing to deliver a consistently engaging Jutland western. The story at its core is about family & togetherness yet brewing beneath the surface is an escalating tension that often unleashes scattered scenes of violence when the ambition of a nobody collides with the greed of a madman, thus making this steadily paced & brilliantly crafted Danish historical drama one of the better surprises of 2023.

I watched this movie at the Busan International Film Festival this week. I went into it, without much information and didn't know what to expect. And oh wow, it blew me away. I straight away put it on my "Top 10 Favourite Movies of all Time" list.

First of all Mads Mikkelsen is a phenomenal actor and the perfect choice to play Ludvig Kahlen. He shines especially in the scenes, where he "only" acts out pure emotion with his facial expressions without having to say a word. There is one scene at the very end, where he sits all alone in his farm house, eating at a table and the camera zooms into a close up shot onto his face. It is a captivating scene, were no words are spoken but so much was said. He is a superb actor.

Throughout the movie you feel all kinds of emotions yourself: anger, hatred, sadness, frustration, disgust, joy, relief,.. I felt it all. It is a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

I felt strong hatred for the villain of the story played by Simon Bennebjerg, who was also a perfect cast for this. You really start to hate his character pretty early on, his arrogance, greed and disrespect for all people around him, make him a despicable character.

After watching the movie, my friend and I had a long discussion about human greed and what our motivation in life is. Is it worth to betray, let down and/or loose loved ones over a title, money and/or fame?

10 out of 10, worth every second.

It is 1755, and Danish Captain Ludvig Kahlen has just left the army. He approaches the Royal Danish Court with a proposition: he will attempt to build a settlement on the barren Jutland moors in exchange for a noble title. It is a task considered impossible, and though his deal is accepted, the Court thinks nothing will ever come of it. Out on the moors, Kahlen battles the environment, as well as bandits and the machinations of the sadistic local magistrate Frederik Schinkel, in an attempt to realize his dreams.

Directed by Nikolaj Arcel and based on a novel by Ida Jessen- which was, in turn, very loosely inspired by real life characters- 'The Promised Land' is an engrossing, engaging film both powerful and poignant. Arcel's screenplay- written alongside frequent collaborator Anders Thomas Jensen- tells a fascinating tale that offers insight into Danish history, while also functioning as a character study and a compelling drama to boot.

It is a movie that works on many levels, balancing drama with comedy and violence with silence. The narrative- although lumbered with an unnecessarily protracted ending- is strongly written, subtly exploring themes like the cost of ambition and the importance of family. The film presents Kahlen as a complex man who can't see the forest for the trees, so to speak. Over the course of the picture, he undergoes a change of character, realising that there are other aspects to his life he should dedicate his time to, other than his pursuit of dominance over the inhospitable moorland.

Kahlen is reminiscent of other singularly focused cinematic creations, such as the titular characters in Werner Herzog's 'Fitzcarraldo' and Sam Peckinpah's 'The Ballad of Cable Hogue.' Like those two resolute men, he strives to realize his dream in the face of terrible opposition. His perseverance, his assurance that the impossible can be done, makes him a compelling character, while his stoic nature makes him both enigmatic and intriguing.

Toiling through the seasons, tearing up the tough earth of the moors, Kahlen struggles to make any headway, even with the help of a couple, Ann Barbara and Johannes, as well as Anmai Mus, a Romani girl he reluctantly takes into his care. Meanwhile, the villainous Shinkel, who has his eye on the moorland, turns from an irritant into an obstacle Kahlen cannot get beyond. All these characters are well-drawn and believable, with their own arcs and backstories. Although the exploration of Kahlen's personality and ambition is the core of the story, Arcel and Jensen have created rich secondary characters for him to interact with; making the film utterly gripping.

It is a visually evocative affair, boasting atmospheric cinematography from Rasmus Videbæk. By using an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, Videbæk gives the film a wide, epic look, making the most of the rugged Danish landscape; compounding the harsh isolation of the Jutland moors. His use of close-ups heightens the drama of proceedings, while his utilisation of tracking shots- notably during a nighttime raid on a band of thugs- adds tension and suspense.

Moreover, Jette Lehmann's production design is detailed and evocative, creating a period-accurate setting, while Kicki Ilander's costume design contributes to the narrative and its characters astutely. Her juxtaposition of the rich fabrics Shinkel parades around in, compared to Kahlen's simple outfits, accentuates the cultural, societal gap between the men. Additionally, Dan Romer's muted score is stirring, never dominating scenes; complementing them instead. Although Arcel and editor Olivier Bugge Couttélet let proceedings go on a tad too long- there is a natural end point that is followed by an unnecessary extra 25 minutes, an epilogue of sorts- the film has a steady pace as deliberate as its central character.

Mads Mikkelsen stars as Kahlen, opposite Amanda Collin as Ann Barbara, Melina Hagberg as Anmai Mus and Simon Bennebjerg as Shinkel. Mikkelsen demonstrates his incredible talent for saying volumes through the smallest expression or gesture, without the need for words. A nuanced, charismatic performer, he is terrific; his subtle, multifaceted performance again lends credence to the notion that he is one of, if not the best actors around today.

Collin does similarly sterling work as Ann Barbara, delivering an understated and powerful performance full of depth and wit. She shares a fine chemistry with Mikkelsen, while Hagberg- in her first role- is wonderful. Feisty and funny, she has a strong screen presence, working brilliantly with her co-stars- especially Mikkelsen. They share a few scenes full of emotional power; and she impresses greatly with her natural, unostentatious performance.

Bennebjerg creates in Shinkel a villain for the ages, a sadistic cad full of pomp and vanity. Although the character is fairly cliched, Bennebjerg plays him so well one forgets this. Slimy, slick and sinisterly funny; he cannot be faulted. Additionally, Thomas W. Gabrielsson and Jacob Lohmann are both brilliant as Shinkel's right hand man Bondo and Trappaud, an associate of Kahlen's. Furthermore, Kristine Kujath Thorp is commendable in the role of Edel Helene, a noblewoman betrothed to Shinkel who wants to escape his vile clutches.

In conclusion, Nikolaj Arcel's 'The Promised Land' is an engaging epic, a character study and a moving drama all in one. With a strong screenplay examining interesting themes, witty, minimalist dialogue and well-drawn characters, the narrative consistently engages. The cinematography and production design are striking, while the score is subtly powerful. Boasting strong performances from all in the cast- led by the incomparable Mads Mikkelsen- 'The Promised Land' is a fascinating tale about a conquest of the useless that one wouldn't want to miss.

In 1755, retired soldier Ludwig Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen) decides to attempt the impossible - to cultivate the Danish Heath. This is a bleak and infertile wilderness which produces nothing but gorse and heather (though there are forests nearby, for some reason). He hopes to win honour and renown thereby.

Kahlen builds his house, and collects a motley crew of workers, including a priest, a pair of runaway serfs, and some lawless folk akin to gypsies. He sort-of adopts a gypsy girl. With much labour, he clears some land, then unveils his secret weapon - the potato.

Unfortunately, he runs foul of a sadistic local landowner (a wonderfully sinister performance by Simon Bennebjerg), who considers himself above the law and has no problem with violence.

The film follows Kahlen through one growing season, at the end of which his feud with the landowner reaches a bloody climax.

The epitaph on screen seems to suggest that this is based on a true story, but I don't know if that's the case.

The performances are excellent throughout; the landscape is compelling, and the cinematography superb.

Rating: 8.7 Overall, a very polished period drama that is executed well on many fronts as the direction, cinematography, and performances from Mads Mikkelsen and Amanda Collin help create a very captivating movie, but the writing and story construction hold it back from being something great.

Very Good Direction (Does a great job on a macro-scale as some of the scenes look stunning as he effectively uses cinematography and editing to capture their grand nature (like in the palaces and especially in the farming scenes; does a very good job on a micro-scale as he develops sequences very well; gets a lot out of his actors as they all work well with Mikkelson to drive the story forward; the biggest drawback is the storytelling as it is kinda predictable with what is going to happy next (especially with the conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist as its pretty generic and cliche with how its told), Good to Very Good Acting (Very Good to Great from Mads Mikkelsen (Has somewhat of a grit to this performance that helps show who his character is; he controls every scene he is in and really lifts the performances around him as he acts as someone to work off of; shows his experience and why he is one of the most renowned Danish actors in cinema history), Very Good from Amanda Collin (Very Good female lead to Mikkelsen as the two have great chemistry, but she also has moments where she shines on her own (especially in the climax); really embodies someone who is of the working class and looking for revenge), Good from Simon Bennebjerg (Plays the pompous prick role well as he does his best effort to make sure everyone hates him (though this makes his performance a bit one-sided as he is written pretty shallowly), Good from the rest of the cast (does their job helping move the story forward and working with Mikkelsen to make the scenes more interesting)), Pretty Good to Good Story (The concept uses a baseline source material that is very interesting and draws your attention because its based on a true story; The story construction is kinda an issue because the conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist is pretty shallow since it just follows many cliches about the power trip of royalty, and this affects the plot as it has to construct itself around this major conflict (although the overarching storyline between the protagonist and the king and the protagonist developing relationships with the female lead and child are written well); the flow of sequences is fine and does a good job in making the story interesting; the character writing for the protagonist, the female lead, and child are good as their grit present them as more well-rounded characters trying to achieve something, but the writing for the other characters (especially the antagonist) is very shallow that you do not really care for them towards the end of the movie), Good Screenplay (The dialogue is well written and comes off very polished (staying true to 1700s vernacular); the humor is used decently well to lift the tension in some of the traumatic scenes (especially with the antagonist to show how twisted he is); the use of symbolism is decently present, but the message just feels like it isn't clearly conveyed with the direction they chose in the end; the foreshadowing is pretty good)), Very Good Score (Felt really similar to Joker and used well to set the tone), Great Cinematography (Really polished and helps show the vastness of the world and the emotions of the characters), Very Good Sound (Felt very crisp and helped with building tension), Very Good Editing (Used well in conjunction with the Cinematography to deliver a polished product), Very Good Visual Effects (The use of practical effects makes the move stunning (especially the use of fire and blood)), Great Production Design (Helps with setting the time period as they build these grand palace sets as a dichotomy to the rural landscapes to show the separation of the classes), Very Good Costumes (Helps with setting the time period and showing the juxtaposition between the upper and lower classes), Plot Structure was fine for the most part as all the overarching plot elements were there and built on each other in a standard fashion; the main issue is the conflict between the protagonist and antagonist is just a bit too cliche and forced that it has a major impact on how the rising action develops (but it does help with the climax though); the exposition just drags a lot and is very unnecessary/forced (could have been removed and the movie would have been the same), Pacing was a bit on the slower side as it followed the pace of other period dramas (but it does move faster than most movies in its genre), Climax was very good itself and executed well (especially with Collin's performance); the exposition just really dampers this climax as it ruins the momentum built up by a well-executed sequence, Tone was very similar to other period dramas (does not provide anything new on this front), Saw a premiere at Austin Film Fest.