I was reminded early on in The Promised Land of There Will Be Blood, a similar film not only in sensibilities but in themes – a film that, in this reviewer’s opinion, ranks as one of the greatest ever made. Both films take place in the distant past. Both films concern rugged, dauntless men who seek to tame the wild country. Both films feature exquisite technical elements and impeccable acting across the board. But The Promised Land manages to differentiate itself to become its own statement before long.

To start, the film is based on historical fact, unlike the fictionalized events in There Will Be Blood. Specifically, it’s based on Ida Jessen’s book The Captain and Ann Barbara from a screenplay by Nikolaj Arcel and Anders Thomas Jensen, which recounts the life of Captain Ludvig Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen), a Danish veteran who sought to cultivate the heath in the Danish countryside in 1755. Kahlen remains steadfast in his pursuit, despite being told repeatedly that nothing could grow in the unforgiving landscape. He sets out, builds his home, and takes in the only people foolish and desperate enough to help: a married fugitive couple, Johannes Eriksen (Morten Hee Andersen) and Ann Barbara (Amanda Collin). Their work grabs the attention of the county’s judge, the wealthy Frederik Schinkel (Simon Bennebjerg) – though he prefers to go by De Schinkel because it sounds more dignified. He’s like the Eli Sunday to Mikkelsen’s Daniel Plainview.

De Schinkel ignites a sort of Cold War when Kahlen refuses to pay him his dues, with Kahlen insisting that the land belongs to the King, in the hopes that one day he’ll begin a settlement and be granted the titles and privileges of a land baron. Mikkelsen is expectedly terrific in his performance – it’s impressive how he can convey so many emotions below the surface despite rarely changing his facial expressions. If it wasn’t already clear that he’s one of the best actors working today, The Promised Land is more evidence in his favor. But it’s Bennebjerg who nearly steals the show as the deliciously spoiled and decidedly evil De Schinkel, who believes he’s owed the world and everything within it because of his heritage. He may not be the most three dimensional villain of the year, but you’ll love to hate him at every turn.

Arcel, who also directs, somehow makes The Promised Land feel both intimate and epic in scope. We follow Kahlen’s journey and struggles to build his settlement, and there are indeed struggles, both man-made and otherwise. Along the way he builds a paternal relationship with a young girl named Anmai Mus (Melina Hagberg, also wonderful), a member of a band of roving bandits, who starts out causing trouble for Kahlen. There’s an element of The Promised Land that touches on found families that’s understated but no less worthwhile, especially as Kahlen begins to warm to Anmai Mus and Ann Barbara. The plotting gets to be relatively familiar at times, especially certain character beats between Kahlen, Ann Barbara, and Anmai Mus. But Arcel injects a blistering humanity in the film, making almost every development feel like a natural extension of the characters.

Without sounding too hyperbolic, films like The Promised Land don’t come along often enough. The film takes its period setting and makes it feel like not only a prescient piece of Danish history but a unique character study, without losing itself in increased stakes. After premiering to positive reviews at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals, my expectations were high, and they were almost universally met and exceeded.

The Promised Land was screened as a Spotlight Selection at the 2023 Heartland International Film Fest. Magnolia Pictures will release it later this year.

OSCAR POTENTIAL:

• The film was the Danish selection for International Feature. I expect it to receive a nomination, where it faces stiff competition.
• Rasmus Videbæk’s cinematography is some of the best of the year, even amongst work from Hoyte van Hoytema and Rodrigo Prieto. But international films rarely make a splash in technical categories, so I’m not getting my hopes up too high for a nomination.
• The same goes for the costume, production design, and hair & makeup work, unfortunately.