REVIEW: ‘The Promised Land’ Offers What It Promises

Danish historical drama The Promised Land (Bastarden) by director and writer Nikolaj Arcel is a solid take on pride, determination, and revenge. Starring Mads Mikkelsen as the main character Ludvig von Kahlen, you are beholden to a man’s singular and unwavering vision for about two hours. Kahlen is of ignoble blood, so while he rose through the ranks of the German military over 25 years, his noble peers achieved the same success in only 6 months. Where wealthy landowners and judges, like Kahlen’s rival Frederik De Schinkel (Simon Bennebjerg), could treat farmers and servants like they’re disposable, Kahlen has to work tirelessly to build the trust of every person he encounters. When Kahlen determines to fulfill the King’s dream of settling the Danish heath, the wilderness of seemingly barren land that covers great swaths of the kingdom, absolutely nothing will stand in the way of accomplishing his goal.

Kahlen’s only motivation is a sense of honor and duty. It’s not the most enthralling set of motivations, but it’s not a hard motivation to sell, either. Mikkelsen plays the character with such a sternness as to be unlikable at times but a commitment to others that results in unwavering dedication to the people he cares for around him. That care isn’t just chauvinism reserved for the women around him, either.

Whether it’s the priest Anton (Gustav Lindh) who first helps him establish his home at King’s Land or the runaway farmer Johannes (Morten Hee Andersen) who has taken refuge with Kahlen, his sense of honor and duty does extend to a prickly kindness. He’s also rather delightfully uncomfortable with the women he cares about, never fully sure how to treat the advances of the noble Edel (Kristine Kujath Thorp), who lives at De Shinkel’s estate, Anton’s wife Ann Barbara (Amanda Collin), or the child Anmai Mus (Melina Hagberg).

Every other character seemingly has stronger and more impactful motivations than Kahlen. Ultimately, he’s the conduit for the plot and some action sequences, but characters like Ann Barbara and Edel are the heart of the movie. Ann Barbara was abused at the hands of her former master, De Schinkel, and becomes both the impetus and the executor of The Forgotten Land’s claim to being a revenge story. She’s not always allowed to play much more of a character than “wife” or “parent.” But when she does, it becomes a highlight of the emotion and action.

Similarly, Edel’s father is trying to marry her off to De Schinkel, but he is not only an abhorrent, tyrannical person hellbent on tormenting Kahlen and his settlement for daring to claim land for the King that he believes should rightfully be his (it is not rightfully his). He’s also an absolute rube. Every line out of his mouth is either a mockery of himself or something completely cruel. The part is very well played and exactly the right balance of evil and idiotic because he is just so much of both.

Edel obviously wants nothing to do with this pitiful man and seeks refuge in Kahlen. Like Ann Barbara, she is often relegated to an object of affection, but even then, she is the pursuer of most of that affection and has perhaps more agency even than the honor-bound Kahlen.

His honor results in some terrible decisions over and over again that cost him and his people dearly. It’s pretty upsetting by the end just how badly this man messes everything up for everyone he cares about. The movie wants you to believe he had no other choice in the face of physical threats, racism, winter storms, and so forth, but a modern audience might have a hard time believing that even this character, who is so dutiful and loyal otherwise, would make all of the choices he does. He’s supposed to be forgiven by the end for rectifying his errors, and other characters ultimately make their own choices that seal their fates regardless of Kahlen’s actions. But it’s still hard to fully forgive him by the end of The Promised Land the way you’re expected to.

Through some cathartic farming, family-building, and revenge, The Promised Land pulls together its seemingly rogue elements to render an entertaining film. Its setting and villain are its biggest stand-outs, although Mikkelson and others certainly put in solid performances.

The Promised Land is available now on Prime Video.