Alternate Best Actor 2023: Mads Mikkelsen in The Promised Land

Mads Mikkelsen did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Ludvig Kahlen in The Promised Land.

The Promised Land follows a retired Danish soldier as he attempts to cultivate land on the barren Jutland, while also facing antagonism from a local landlord.
 

Mads Mikkelsen shall ever be the face of the consistent failure of Hollywood to properly utilize non-American actors after apparently noticing their talent through their films from their home country, yet always casting them as "villain". Mikkelsen is such an actor consistently in the same year where he had to play another tired villain role in Indiana Jones, thankfully we had his performance in this film to show off his talents once again. Mikkelsen's performance is taking upon the role of the western hero in so many ways, even if the film takes place in Denmark, how the film approaches this very much begins as you might expect an old Confederate or Union soldier going west to try to make a home for himself. Mikkelsen naturally eases right into such a role, as there are few better actors to portray stoicism, though the key here is that he's not really as stoic as he may seem. Regardless Mikkelsen's commanding presence immediately grants us the sense of this man as a dangerous soldier with a great deal of will behind his intention to try to settle what everyone believes to be the barren Jutland. Mikkelsen's ask in the Danish court for the plot of land is with a steely eyed determination that you immediately sense the power of the personality of his Kahlen and is innately captivating to watch be our hero for this tale of trying to turn seemingly the nothing of the Jutland into something worthwhile. 

Mikkelsen comes into the scene as the western hero quite purely with just that tremendous presence of his that exudes strength and an understated intelligence. We see as he's surveying land just that intention in his eyes of the man who will be this force of nature as he goes about making sure he grows his potatoes and can claim the land as his own. On the way he encounters some potential allies via some traveling Romani, a priest, some debtors to a local landlord, and initially we see Kahlen as he treats the people with a certain distance. Mikkelsen brings the calm strength of the man who examines each for their potential, doing so much with his eyes in every scene showing the calculation of Kahlen as he analyzes what he might or might not be able to do with each person for help or perhaps not. As one of his first acts is to kill a Romani bandit who tries to rob him, which Mikkelsen shows as the most innate of reflexes of a man who has very much learned to survive. Mikkelsen is captivating as the great heroes of a few words should be as he always suggests so much thought just as he so rarely says too much, and never are you not drawn into his sphere. Mikkelsen, here being just such a magnetic performer that makes it so easy for you to want to go along with Kahlan's journey and in some way by doing this making you a bit of a co-conspirator in a way. 

Kahlen soon finding the need for allies as he comes into conflict with the local land lord Frederik de Schinkel (Simon Bennebjerg) who is one of the most immediately hateable villains around, who wants him to give up all claims and let him have the wasteland back to himself. Mikkelsen of course is so naturally calm, cool and for the lack of a better word, badass in each and every interaction between the two men. As Mikkelsen just stares through him portraying the complete lack of fear and even more so the withdrawn yet extremely palatable intensity of the man who is in no way deterred from the man's threats. Regardless we see that Kahlen must take on a few allies, by listening to the priest's advice and taking on the debtors, including the eventually widowed Ann Barbara (Amanda Collin) and even the orphaned Romani Animai Mus (Melina Hagberg). Where Mikkelsen brings just this begrudging manner in their interactions in his blunt acts of direct transitional choices between each and emphasizing that for him it is a point of necessity. Now one should probably be able to guess where this is going, but as always, who cares, if you do it well. And that's the case and really why Mikkelsen is such an under-exploited actor in America, because of the ease in which he can deliver real nuance to a character, particularly here as we see him challenged within his state as the stoic man.

As much as Mikkelsen excels as the cool badass, what makes him a great actor is what else he's able to do, and every opportunity he has to do more, he absolutely makes the most of it. Sometimes even a relatively brief scene where an heiress takes a liking to him as an alternative to the disgusting de Schinkel, in the romantic scene where Mikkelsen is great because he actually plays it a little awkwardly. He is of course charismatic in his way, but Mikkelsen's good in his subdued reactions in showing that the advances of the woman aren't something he was entirely prepared for, even if he is more than willing to accept them. With Animai and Ann Barbara though we slowly see the trio become an unlikely family, something that works because of just how good Mikkelsen is in his performance. As the gradual just bits of cracks we see in his stoic frame, where we see genuine excitement or happiness in his interactions are tremendous. Mikkelsen earned every bit of thawing of his heart and really just getting to see how great Mikkelsen can be in crafting each relationship so naturally. His relationship with Barbara goes from slight tension, to an uneasy alliance, to a romance of convenience, towards something genuine and Mikkelsen in the margins earns each step with ease. Mikkelsen making it just honest even as it is so bluntly direct, it feels always just right, because there is only truth in Mikkelsen's work.

 

My favorite aspect though is his chemistry with Hagberg, and the often seemingly cold or portrayed scary Mikkelsen, brings so much heart as we see Kahlen embrace the young girl as his daughter. Mikkelsen brings the tenderness in the hints of his performance which are so much more poignant because of how truly tough he makes his frame. Take the moment where he nurses her after being poisoned and Mikkelsen's just glint of near smiles are so heartwarming coming from him. The moment where he sends her away per request of potential allies, as she's seen as a bad omen, Mikkelsen's hesitation is subtle yet potent in his eyes showing the real anguish as he tries to maintain his stoicism though we see it fading with this relationship. Making then his eventual reunion is so earnestly heartfelt as Mikkelsen reveals the most emotion in the embrace. Mikkelsen making it such a tremendous moment because the tenderness out of his cold exterior, and we see such a genuine connection in his performance, while an expected transition, the emotion in it wholly works because of the performances. Mikkelsen does indeed make this performance look easy, but that just speaks to his incredible talent. As he always amplifies every moment, as when things go wrong for Kahlen, the intensity of his emotion as he sees a friend killed, you feel it in his reaction of rage and in that the real meaning all of this has had for him now. And when it seems like he's been gotten the better of, despite being such a formidable hero, Mikkelsen's portrayal of the very real low point isn't at all hidden bringing such a visceral power to his physical and emotional wounds as he suffers de Schinkel's cruelties. By doing so, giving real stakes and making Kahlen a hero who does bleed as tough as Mikkelsen also makes him. A hero who is so easy to follow through, again, this western type story just in a different setting, but unlike The Salvation (which frankly has slightly better English language use of Mikkelsen than many films),  we get a fully developed character here. One that allows Mikkelsen the time to give real nuance to this hero, while also just creating the proper protagonist we won't see thrive and survive his difficult quest. Yet another performance from Mikkelsen that shows his great range, his subtle nuance and powerful presence. I mean I'm just glad he keeps working in Denmark where his full talent is appreciated, meanwhile in Hollywood, I'm sure they'll cast him in a role equal to his talents....any time now....eh probably not.