‘The Promised Land’ Blu-Ray Review – Mads Mikkelsen Drama Is An Epic Crowdpleaser

In 18th century Denmark, Captain Ludvig Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen, “Hannibal”) – 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.

For in-depth thoughts on The Promised Land, please see my colleague M.N. Miller’s review from its original theatrical release here. 

Video Quality

The Promised Land comes to Blu-Ray with a stunning AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. The transfer sparkles with an impressive level of detail in even the most discrete aspects of the environments and rustic production design. The hues that saturate the screen are earthy yet lush and vibrant. Black levels are largely fantastic with only a couple of instances of crush occuring. Skin tones are natural throughout with plenty of character in close-up shots such a dirt, sweat, and stubble. The picture is primarily clear with only brief downturns during a few darker scenes. Overall, this is a great transfer from Magnolia Home Entertainment that does everything it needs to. We would kill to see a 4K UHD Blu-Ray of this title. 

Audio Quality

The film arrives on Blu-Ray with a stellar DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that truly impresses. It is presented in its original Danish along with an English dub that should not be considered to ensure artistic purity. Optional English, English Narrative (for English Audio), and English SDH subtitles are provided. Dialogue and sound effects are capably balanced with the score where nothing gets covered up in the track. The movie provides a cavalcade of environmental sounds that yield a palpable three-dimensional atmosphere for the story. Surround channels achieve exceptional activity due to so much of the movie taking place outdoors. The low end of the track digs deep when the plot calls for it with some hefty force in key moments. This track is quite terrific and will be appreciated by audiences who pick up this disc. 

Special Features

There are no special features provided on this disc. 

Final Thoughts

The Promised Land is the type of epic crowdpleaser that is likely to win over even those who are not a fan of subtitles. The stakes are clearly defined, yet the creative team does not allow this to fall into simple tropes. There is a lot of thought put into this conflict from a thematic standpoint, and Mads Mikkelsen executes every idea to perfection with his magnetic performance. The supporting cast also rises to the occasion including a villainous performance that ranks among the most dastardly we have seen in some time. This is truly great filmmaking. Magnolia Home Entertainment has delivered a great A/V presentation and a fine special feature. Don’t let this one pass you by. Highly Recommended 

The Promised Land is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Magnolia Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.