Tag: Nikolaj Arcel

Bastarden (2023) | REVIEW

Mads Mikkelsen as Ludvig Kahlen, an impoverished soldier who desires nobility, in BASTARDEN // THE PROMISED LAND — PHOTO: Henrik Ohsten / Zentropa / Nordisk Film.

Directed by Nikolaj Arcel — Screenplay by Nikolaj Arcel and Anders Thomas Jensen (Retfærdighedens Ryttere).

Titles can be tricky. Titles are obviously an essential part of marketing as they clue audiences in on what they can expect to see. A poster can be manipulated. A trailer can be manipulated. But more often than not titles mean something to the creatives who worked on the film. Then, of course, there are International titles. In the case of this Danish historical epic, its original title is Bastarden, which literally means ‘The Bastard,’ but it is known internationally as The Promised Land. Frankly, both titles feel accurate. Then, of course, there is the title of the source material, which is a Danish historical novel from Ida Jessen titled The Captain and Ann Babara (originally Kaptajnen og Ann Barbara in Danish). Internationally, distributors went with The Promised Land, which I honestly think is a bit of a mistake as it is such a generic title that has been used over and over again. Now, The Bastard isn’t exactly completely original. Still, it feels less conventional and speaks to its two principal opponents, a person born out of wedlock and his despicable antagonist. Regardless of which title you find it under, this Danish epic is one that I highly recommend, as it features strong performances, gorgeous photography, and a fair bit of violence which keeps this period piece from ever feeling stuffy. 

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If You Liked Tomb Raider (2018), Then Watch These Films

As inspired by other recommendation articles of the same kind, If You Liked …, Then Watch These Films hopes to guide you in your movie-watching. I suggest that you clean up your watchlist and redesign it with the recommendations listed in these posts. In this month’s recommendation article, I give you four recommendations for films to watch if you liked the new reboot of the Tomb Raider-film franchise. Continue reading “If You Liked Tomb Raider (2018), Then Watch These Films” →

REVIEW: The Dark Tower (2017)

Theatrical Release Poster – Columbia Pictures

The following is a review of The Dark Tower – Directed by Nikolaj Arcel.

A dark tower stands tall at the center of the universe. It protects all realities, including our reality on Earth, from powerful dark forces from the outside. In Nikolaj Arcel’s The Dark Tower, which is based on the Stephen King series of novels of the same name, the Man in Black (played by Matthew McConaughey) is trying to destroy the aforementioned tower using abducted psychic children and their powers. Continue reading “REVIEW: The Dark Tower (2017)” →