In 18th century Denmark, Captain Ludvig Kahlen (Mads
Mikkelsen) -- a proud, ambitious, but impoverished war hero -- sets out
to tame a vast, uninhabitable land on which seemingly nothing can grow.
He seeks to start farming crops, build a colony in the name of the
King, and gain a noble title for himself. This beautiful but forbidding
area also happens to be under the rule of the merciless Frederik De
Schinkel, a preening nobleman who realizes the threat Kahlen represents
to his power. Struggling against the elements and local brigands, Kahlen
is joined by a couple who have fled the clutches of the rapacious De
Schinkel. As this group of misfits begins to build a small community in
this inhospitable place, De Schinkel swears vengeance, and the
confrontation between him and Kahlen promises to be as violent and
intense as these two men.
The Promised Land builds like a glacier or rock formation — and it delivers. - Tom Shone, Times (UK)
[A] compelling, romantic and refreshingly retro drama where broken promises can lead to unexpected opportunities. - Thelma Adams, AARP Movies for Grownups