2023 Danish film
The Promised Land (Danish: Bastarden, lit. 'The bastard') is a 2023 epic historical drama film directed by Nikolaj Arcel from a screenplay by Arcel & Anders Thomas Jensen.[3] Starring Mads Mikkelsen, Amanda Collin and Simon Bennebjerg, and with Kristine Kujath Thorp, Gustav Lindh, Jakob Lohmann, Morten Hee Andersen, Magnus Krepper and Felix Kramer in supporting roles,[4] the film is based on the book The Captain and Ann Barbara by Ida Jessen,[5] and is a joint Danish-German-Swedish co-production.[6]
The Promised Land had its world premiere on 31 August 2023 at the 80th Venice International Film Festival where it competed for the Golden Lion.[7] It was selected as the Danish entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards,[8] and was one of the 15 finalist films in the December shortlist.[9]
Plot
In 1755, Captain Ludvig Kahlen, an impoverished Danish officer of humble birth, retires after 25 years of service from the German Army with a measly pension to his native Denmark and obtains a permission from the Royal Danish Court to build a property on the barren Jutland moorland for land cultivation. He hopes to establish a settlement on that property, and in return for that he requests from the Court a privilege of a noble title with an associated manor. Soon after arriving at the site of his prospective homestead, he comes into conflict with Frederik de Schinkel, a local magistrate at the nearby Hald Manor and a merciless landowner who has been trying to monopolize ownership of the moorland.[10]
De Schinkel does his utmost to make workforce unavailable to Kahlen, who covertly employs and harbors Johannes Eriksen and his wife Ann Barbara, two of de Schinkel's indentured serf farmers serfs who broke their contract and fled Frederik's mistreatment. He also hires the "Tatere" Romani Travellers as workers, though that practice is illegal. In the meantime, de Schinkel's cousin and betrothed Edel Helene is not interested in marrying him, but her father insists on the marriage due to de Schinkel's substantial wealth, unless she can come up with an alternative suitor within a year. She meets Kahlen secretly and the two share an understanding that if Kahlen can acquire a noble title within the year, they will marry, offering her an escape from the unwanted union with her cousin.
Johannes is recaptured by de Schinkel's men and put to death as an escaped serf by his former master. Seeing this, the Travellers leave Kahlen's employment, though a gypsy girl Anmai Mus manages to stay behind. With Ann Barbara and Anmai Mus's help, Kahlen manages to plant the potatoes brought from Germany and harvest 80 sacks; when the King hears the tidings, he orders the establishment of a settlement on Kahlen's estate. Kahlen is conferred the title of Royal Surveyor and 50 settlers from Northern Germany are sent to his land.
De Schinkel has convicts attack the new settlement, killing people and animals. In revenge, Kahlen and a few settlers attack and kill the perpetrators in their hideout, though he is forced to send Anmai Mus away in exchange for their help. De Schinkel's officer Preisler, witnesses the killings and flees. De Schinkel, along with his fellow estate owners, reports this to the king's cabinet; the new settlement's lands' ownership is transferred to De Schinkel and Kahlen is arrested.
While Kahlen is being tortured at De Schinkel's estate, Ann Barbara sneaks in and prepares a poisoned drink, while Edel leads De Schinkel into drinking it. While he is incapacitated, Ann Barbara comes in and stabs him to death. Butler Bondo explains everything to the king's cabinet; Kahlen is released, Ann Barbara is imprisoned for life and Edel returns to her home in Norway. Kahlen locates Anmai Mus and promises to take care of her, and the two begin living in the farm.
A few years later, an officer informs Kahlen that he is granted the title of baron and that 400 new settlers will be arriving soon. Before that happens, Anmai Mus leaves with a travelling gypsy group. Kahlen leaves the moor and his title is annulled. He eventually frees Ann Barbara from a travelling prisoner cart and both of them ride a horse towards the sea.
Production
Principal photography began on September 5, 2022[12] and wrapped in early November of the same year.[13]
Filming took place on locations in Germany,[14] Sweden,[15] and Czechia.[16]
Release
The Promised Land had its world premiere on August 31, 2023 at the 80th Venice International Film Festival,[17][18] to then screen on September 7, 2023 at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival.[19][20] It was also invited at the 28th Busan International Film Festival in 'World Cinema' section and was screened on 6 October 2023.[21]
It was released commercially on October 5, 2023, in Danish theaters.[22]
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 36 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10.[23] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 76 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[24]
Accolades
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