Bastarden (The Promised Land)
2023
****
Director: Nikolaj Arcel
Cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Amanda Collin, Simon Bennebjerg, Kristine Kujath Thorp, Gustav Lindh, Magnus Krepper, Tommy Kenter, Jakob Ulrik Lohmann, Laura Bro, Anders Brink Madsen
Nikolaj Arcel's gripping historical drama tells a fictionalised true story of Captain Ludvig Kahlen, a retired military officer of lowly origins, who in 1755 sets out to cultivate the barren Jutland heathlands in exchange for a noble title. However, he faces fierce opposition from the harsh landscape and the petty and entitled landowner. Mads Mikkelsen gives another commanding performance as a gruff and determined pioneer who has a big heart. The story is grim and believable, apart from the Hollywood ending that leaves nothing to our imagination. Adapted from Ida Jessen's 2020 book The Captain and Ann Barbara.
