In 1755, the impoverished Captain Ludvig Kahlen sets out to conquer the harsh, uninhabitable Danish heath with a seemingly impossible goal; to build a colony in the name of the King. In exchange, he'll receive a desperately desired Royal name for himself. But the sole ruler of the area, the merciless Frederik de Schinkel, arrogantly believes this land belongs to him. When de Schinkel learns that the maid Ann Barbara and her serve husband have escaped for refuge with Kahlen, the privileged and spiteful ruler swears revenge, doing everything in his power to drive the captain away. Kahlen will not be intimated and takes up the unequal battle - not only risking his life, but also the family of outsiders that has formed around him.
Danish | 2 hrs 7 mins | NR
"With another rich performance from the always-great Mads Mikkelsen, this kind of movie should work for anyone who misses the period epic drama." RogerEbert.com
"The kind of ravishing, rousing epic we don’t really get much of anymore." New York Magazine/Vulture
"Arcel — comfortably back on home turf as a director, after 2017’s drab Stephen King adaptation “The Dark Tower” — has a pleasingly sturdy, old-school feel for grand-scale period filmmaking." Variety
