In 1755, the impoverished and retired Captain Ludvig Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen) gains permission from the Royal Danish Court to use his meagre pension to cultivate the inhospitable Jutland moorland and establish a settlement to gain a noble title. Soon, however, local magistrate Frederik ‘De’ Schinkel (Simon Bennebjerg) explains to his neighbour his own plans for the area.

Director Nikolaj Arcel and stoic lead Mads Mikkelsen (both of A Royal Affair, 2012) return to bring the true story of Captain Kahlen to life, albeit with plenty of dramatic license. The movie both establishes the stark and brutal landscape and Kahlen’s back-breaking dogged mission to gain a noble title that is taken so much for granted by those simply born into them. With more than the barren land in front of him, the psychotic and dastardly ‘De’ Schinkel is a wicked foil, doing his best to break Kahlen’s spirit to keep the land for himself and to put a stop to the commoner’s rise in the ranks.

Like The Convert (2023), the movie is a Western, showcasing the brutal but beautiful natural world that our lone pioneer is battling against, far from the protection of the Royal Court, law and civilised morality. Along the way, this lone wolf discovers that the pack they lead are the ones that make him strong, learning to rely on Schinkel’s escaped servant Ann Barbara (Amanda Collin) and young “Tatere” Romani thief Anmai Mus (Melina Hagberg).

Verdict: A rich, sweeping story with powerful performances. 5 stars.

Luke McWilliams, www.themovieclub.net. Viewed at Dendy Cinemas.