Film Shapes

Mads Mikkelsen stars in this 18th century historical drama with epic overtones. He plays Ludvig Kahlen, an ex-soldier with a strong urge to cultivate the Jutland heath in Denmark. The Royal Treasury toffs think he's mad but, as the King wants the heath developed, Kahlen is given permission to try (and probably fail). So, unto the wild. It sets out its stall early when Kahlen musket balls an outlaw's chin. The bloodlust doesn't return for a while, but when it does, it's pretty shocking. In the meantime, Kahlen has to deal with farming a virtually barren landscape with very little help. A local priest, Anton (Gutsav Lindh) leads him to a couple, Ann Barbara and Johannes (Morten Hee Andersen and Amanda Collin), who will work for next to nothing, as they are on the run from a malicious land-owner. We meet said richo, Frederik de Schinkel (Simon Bennebjerg) soon enough when he invites Kahlen to dinner to dissuade him from his attempts to settle - more folk on the land would ...