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The Promised Land

ActionBiographyDrama

The story of Danish soldier and explorer Ludvig Kahlen, who explored and cultivated Denmark's wild Jutland, which now comprises the vast majority of the country, in the mid-18th century.

Year

2023

Duration

2h 7m

IMDb

7.7

Trailer

Cast

Nikolaj Arcel

Director

Mads Mikkelsen

Ludvig Kahlen

Amanda Collin

Ann Barbara

Simon Bennebjerg

Frederik De Schinkel

HM

Hagberg Melina

Anmai Mus

Kristine Kujath Thorp

Edel Helene

Gustav Lindh

Anton Eklund

Morten Hee Andersen

Johannes Eriksen

Thomas W. Gabrielsson

Bondo

Jacob Lohmann

Trappaud

Magnus Krepper

Hector

Felix Kramer

Balzer

OH

Olaf Højgaard

Preisler

LB

Laura Bilgrau Eskild-Jensen

Anmai Mus (15)

AF

Anna Filippa Hjarne

Anne

HC

Hans Christian Lundgren

Kaspar

AF

Arved Friese

Colonist Claus

Søren Malling

Paulli

JK

Jirí Konvalinka

Rømer

Nikolaj Arcel

Writer

Anders Thomas Jensen

Writer

IJ

Ida Jessen

Writer

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Comments

10 comments

Odinaka CollinsAug 13, 2024

My own movie didn't finish. please where can I download the whole movie??

Chonie la chinoise Feb 19, 2024

CAYLA_COETZEE19Feb 19, 2024

That's the overarching question, or rather field of tension, in Nikolaj Arcel's BASTARDEN - a film that offers both beautiful cinematography and a brilliant, subdued performance by Mads Mikkelsen. Set in Ancien Régime Denmark, a retired soldier attempts to cultivate the heath of Jutland in the name of King Frederik V for wealth and social advancement - a rather venturous project, not only because of wolves and bandits, but above all the property claims of local landlords. While one particular nobleman insists on his inherent rights, Mads Mikkelsen's protagonist relies on hard work to sustainably secure the rights to the land for himself. It is a case of ethics of merit (Verdienstethik) vs. Ethics of status (Standesethik). This fundamental conflict of modernity ironically seems to be better expressed by the film's international title THE PROMISED LAND than by the Danish one, which emphasizes the protagonist's dubious origins. Unfortunately, the film somewhat loses sight of this basic theme as the running time progresses. A brilliant first half is followed by a half-baked second one, increasingly unsure what it is actually about - with echoes of a revenge thriller and even a love story. There is also a sub plot involving an adopted child that superficially tackles themes of exclusion and belonging, which felt a little out of place. Thus, some of the plot lines sort of fizzle out at the end. Given the 18th century setting, there are also some noticeable, though never distracting anachronisms, be it some forms of behavior, the perfect High German spoken by the peasant colonists or certain terms used (the "German army" f. E.). In the end, however, Mads Mikkelsen's strong performance, the great direction as well as cinematography almost completely make up for these weaknesses. Arcel crafted a period piece that so confidently ignores the jarring conventions of modern Hollywood that you can't help but admire it.

Lilithafirst Liz SmaFeb 19, 2024

This film is as good as they get and has everything anyone could ever want. A fantastic storyline, wonderful cinematography, sharp dialogue without a word extra or wasted, the actors pitch their performances at exactly the right level and the time flies by without a single dull moment. Other reviewers here have commented that this is the best film they have seen all year. As someone who goes to the cinema a LOT to watch all genres of movies from all over the world I feel I should add that - yes, they are right and i agree - this is the best movie I have seen this year. Treat yourself and go to see it. Magnificent.

BlessedFeb 19, 2024

"The Promised Land" (Bastarden in Danish), based on a book by Ida Jessen called "The Captain and Ann Barbara" which in turn, based on a real life person is about a captain (Mads Mikkelsen) who sets out to conquer the Heath in Jutland which is said to be impossible to grow anything in. Throughout, he meets a lot of resistance working towards his goal. I like Mads Mikkelsen as an actor, let me just get that straight out of the way. This guy rarely RARELY makes bad movies. He's just too good and underrated. The movie itself was pretty good too. I found myself pretty invested in the plot and the different characters. Mads Mikkelsen was brilliant in the role of Ludvig Kahlen and Amanda Collin was amazing as Ann Barbara the housekeeper. And not to talk about how good Simon Bennebjerg was as the villain, Frederik de Schinkel (also based on a real person). The film was emotional at times too. Here's my only strife with the movie and literally my only strife... Although both Mads Mikkelsen and Frederik de Schinkel existed back in the 1700's which the movie took place, in real life they had absolutely nothing to do with each other. At least from the little i've read online. I found it weird they decided to mix them together in this.

Ohemaa LimbeeFeb 19, 2024

It is my understanding this is based upon at true person, whether the story is true I am unsure. And the film is based on a novel about this person. Mads is allowed to be himself more than normal here, as the whole film is in Danish. While Danish is similar to German and Norwegian and Swedish (because of the location and how they all became to be), if you are familiar with any of these languages you may pick up things here and there. But otherwise you shall need the English subtitles to survive the film. This does have just over a 2 hour run time, and with some dramas you can feel that drag along. On occasion I felt like it needed a push to get where it needed to go, but then the antagonist would come into the picture and be the utmost vile person and I would just want our hero to go full Hannibal on him. But, that's not who Mads was playing; not that the Captain didn't have his own temperment and skills. Be warned there is some violence you wouldn't expect. But all of the romance is very tame. And there were some very lovely adopted family scenes as well, nice to see Mads play dad. For the lovers of foreign and historical drama, this will scratch that itch very well.

Suhaib Lord MgarenFeb 19, 2024

While one can take issue with a heavy-handed plot and character exaggeration, there has been no other European film this year that pulled at my heart strings so hard. In part that's due to another Academy Award-worthy performance of Mads Mikkelsen, perhaps the world's greatest active actor. His lonely hero fighting the elements and a brutal class system could not have worked with anybody else. No one else can express grief and dejection or pride and resilience like he can, with as little as a raised eyebrow. The story is classic Western lore: a single settler attempts to cultivate barren land. He gets no support from a hostile upper class who see him as a threat to their privilege, and makes an enemy out of a sadistic landowner who wants to buy up the entire area (it's never properly explained what he intends to use it for). He weathers setbacks and intrigues, eventually succeeds, but then abandons his ambition for love. The novel by Ida Jessen won many awards for being meticulously well researched in a style similar to Hilary Mantel's. The screenplay by Anders Thomas Jensen, a more prominent director than Arcel who launched Mikkelsen's international career with "Adam's Apples" (2005), keeps this attention to detail. The female lead is also a familiar face to American audiences, since Amanda Collin played the lead in the dystopian SciFi series "Raised by Wolves". What makes this my European favorite film of the year is the presence of a non-stereotypical Romani character, since the debate on racism over the past ten years has almost completely ignored them - justifying doubt in its sincerity. The foundation of the hatred against gypsies is the idea that they are strangers without any history, while they have lived in Europe for 600 years under atrocious conditions. This film is a long overdue first step to acknowledging this. Period dramas are usually set in royal courts (including Arcel's own "A Royal Affair" (2012), this one explores the power dynamics of the late feudal era - nobility versus the people, men versus women, Danes and Germans versus Roma and Travelers. Apart from the Romanian "Aferim" (2015), which was also a Western, I do not recall any other film addressing slavery in Europe. It would have been too much for a single movie to explain all this, but a little more information would have lessened the outlandish quality of the villain's cruelty, which borders on caricature. That is the one weak spot of the film, his behavior borders on ridicule. But it is true that these horrific practices actually happened and were actually legal. So all in all this is the best European fiction film of the year, although I'm fairly certain the foreign Academy Award will go to the more important "20 Days in Mariupol".

kalifa bojangFeb 19, 2024

A costume drama played out in the 1600 Denmark. Its a rough and cold depiction of the life of a man trying to make a name of himself. What makes this movie is the characters and the acting. Mads Mikkelsen plays Ludvig Kahlen, the main character of this movie. Mads makes a believable character depiction of Ludvig, although we dont really know how Ludvig was, so he couldve been quite different IRL. The rest of the cast performance is mostly good but two characters are misscasts. The guy who plays the priest and the girl who plays the stray girl are really bad actors. Both playing swedish characters. Its not just bad acting, it seems the director wanted to make them look bad. The dialect is of present time(2023) and its like they forget they are suppose to play characters of the past. Im just gonna assume they got their roles through corruption. Besides some misscast and poor directing, this movie seem to follow some diversity quota bcs the stray girl is played by a mixed raxe girl looking very middle eastern, thus does not fit the history but probably the movie criteria for casting. Its sad to see the movie industry engaging in politics bcs its rewriting history for political ends. The story is quite simple, Mads character are met with people who tries to ruin his attempt to further himself. It gets bloody at times and its a very harsh and sad story. Not much beauty or warmth in this flic, in fact you will probably leave the theater having a cold. In summary, you wont laugh to this movie and I dont really see why they made it. It doesnt leave you with much but a cold rough stain. Go out and lick the street on a chilly autumn day and you will get the same feeling as this movie will give you.

Louloud.kmsFeb 19, 2024

Excellent scandinavian historical drama, moulded in the good hands of danish filmakers this time, on the moors and marshland of jutlandia, said to be barren and harsh dirt where no plants of edible kind would grow. Mads mikkelsen , is the captain of this vessel called ''b......n'' in danish and ''promised land'' in english, not to well translated as a b.....d is a b.....d both in danish and english language, and the word should be allowed used in the reviews on IMDB as long as the danish title says so.... Its a story taking place in the 1700's, about the pioneers of danish agricultural development, using the newly introduced potatoe to the danish society. Its the battle between the layman and the lords, the peasants and the landowners, and a mighty king on top of the pyramide, that encourage development... a very well handcrafted film, that reach far beyond todays national borderlines, an icecold glance that will grip yor mind and heart for its lavishness and upper class injustice to maintain their grip on society. Its costumes and style of the era has been very well taken care of, also the etched through hate towards the travellers and other ''outcasts'' of society in this era. Its a long playtime, but i cant see where to cut it down at length, therefore bare over with that, and turn your zeitgeist back to the 1750's, its a recommend from the grumpy old man.

عيسى || عبدالمحسن عيسى💙Feb 19, 2024

This is a historical drama set in Denmark in the 1700's. A recently discharged Captain has a dream to create a farm on the inhabitable moorland of what is now Jutland. He knows the King of Denmark is keen to expand into the area and he requests permission to build a house and to farm the land. He gets it because the belief is it's impossible to farm the moorlands and it's no loss for the crown to gamble on him. The movie takes us on a journey of a decent , honest man who rose from the ranks to achieve a commission in the army which at the time was very rare. This venture pits his honour and morals against riches and coercion from established landowners who all plot his downfall. The acting is excellent and the characters are all interesting with back stories. The challenges and decisions he has to make are sometimes unbearable to watch but the screenplay is so well written and executed that it is a joy to watch. All will feel emotions when watching this movie. The cinematography is first class. This movie has been submitted for the 2024 Oscar's as best international film , it is a strong contender. Highly recommended.