The Promised Land: BBC iplayer

I saw this film the other night. Started watching it part way through. Because it was BBC4 I assumed it was a Scandi drama of some kind, wasn’t sure if it was a film or a series. It was so violent and gory and dark I wasn’t sure if I wanted to watch it even though I’m Game of Thrones hardened to blood and gore. But I was intrigued by it and decided to watch it( having realised it was a film) from the beginning. I was transfixed. There were times when I shouted out ‘oh no’ and times when I was moved to tears, mainly when it featured a little gypsy girl called AnmaiMus. It’s based on a real life character who decided to try to grow crops in Jutland in the hope of being given a title by the Danish King (sounds riveting doesn’t it!).Starring Mads Mikkelsen who I first saw in a film called A Royal Affair made by the same director (who also directed the original Girl With A Dragon Tattoo film so he knows how to make a good’un).It’s been described as a Scandi western and I wouldn’t argue with that. I’m going to watch it again. It’s really stayed with me. It is very very violent but is a master class in acting. I can only liken it to Last of the Mohicans which is one of my all time favourite films. As with A Royal Affair there are many levels to it.