Best known to American audiences as the principal villain in “Casino Royale” (2006) and the title character in the TV series “Hannibal” (2013–2015), Danish thespian Mads Mikkelsen is one of, if not the most popular actors in his homeland.
Similar to Nicolas Cage, Mr. Mikkelsen shows up for roles in big-budget Hollywood blowouts (“Clash of the Titans,” “Rogue One,” the “Fantastic Beasts” and “Indiana Jones” franchises) for quick, fat paychecks. This allows him to work for less money on low-visibility prestige projects such as “The Promised Land” (“Land”).
An Epic in Every Way
Sharing tonal and narrative overlap with “Unforgiven,” “Jeremiah Johnson,” and to a lesser degree “Braveheart,” “Land” is a sweeping melodrama that checks all of the required “epic” boxes. There’s man versus nature, David versus Goliath, sprawling landscapes, romance, redemption, and the overcoming of extreme adversity.“Land” opens in 1755 Copenhagen where Ludwig Kahlen (Mr. Mikkelsen) petitions the Royal Dutch Court to grant him the rights to cultivate the “Heath of Jutland,” a stretch of essentially useless real estate shared by Denmark and Germany.
A German war veteran with 25 years of service behind him, Kahlen worked as an agricultural surveyor prior to his stint with the army and is willing to do this on his own dime in exchange for a title of nobility (and the perks that accompany it) if he produces results.
At first, the court scoffs and denies Kahlen the land, as many others before him have tried and failed. But after one of the more sensible members points out that this has been a long-running pet project of King Frederick V and there is no monetary risk, Kahlen’s request is approved.
This ruling doesn’t go over well with Frederik de Schinkel (Simon Bennebjerg), a filthy-rich and thoroughly despicable land baron who incorrectly thinks that the property Kahlen takes over belongs to him, not the king.
The Villain Is the Key
As any dramatist will attest, the success or failure of any production is contingent on the viability of the villain. De Schinkel is among the worst (or best, if you will) ever committed to film. He’s an unchecked, unbridled, beyond spoiled man-child who only achieved his position through birth.Adding to the ever-mounting dramatic tension are Ann Barbara (Amanda Collin) and Edel Helene (Kristine Kujath Thorpe), two women with different connections but similar opinions to both Kahlen and de Schinkel.
The remaining principal character is Anmai Mus (Melina Hagberg), an orphaned Romani child referred to far too frequently as a “darkling.” A derogatory term akin to the “N” word, “darkling” is affixed to those of Romani descent and is associated with criminal behavior and bad luck.
Titles Versus Enlightenment
Kahlen’s ultimate fate is bittersweet and offers a valuable lesson. His goal is to receive acknowledgment as a noble by conquering nature and proving that he can do what no one else has been able to achieve. His wanting to be given a socially superior label is paramount to his desire to improve his lot in life—an act that is somewhat self-serving and not exactly the ideal humanitarian route.
The final 10 minutes of the movie presents Kahlen as a contrarian to his past mindset, giving us the final impression of a man recognizing that land and titles mean less to him than his relationships with the two most important people in his life.
