Based on a book The Captain And Ann Barbara by Ida Jessen, The Promised Land follows the story of an impoverished Captain who wishes to conquer a heath in the name of the King, only to be countered by a Landlord who will stop at nothing to win at all cost. The story is a slow burner tackling the concept of castism and politics wrapped in a drama of one-upmanship and revenge. And the drama being set in the 18th Century, adds a lot of texture and layer to the setting in a screenplay that is standing a shade above 2 hours. The drama is compelling while taking its time to unfold with some magnificent moments of brutality and blood along the way that carves a fascinating picture of life in the 18th Century. 

The drama opens with the introduction of the protagonist who wishes to attain a heath, a land that is barren and can barely be used even for cultivation. To give him company are a group of people including Ann Barbara, the wife of a peasant who has escaped the clutches of a powerful landlord who would eventually be the biggest deterent for the protagonist. The writers are tactful to allow the drama to simmer while acquainting the viewers with the geography of the acquired land that runs into acres, without disclosing the reason behind acquiring it. Needless to say that the land itself does essay a very important character around which the story revolves. And in a rather unassuming manner, the writers introduce the conflict in the form of a landlord, who absolutely dislikes losing and has a win at all cost policy, leading to a sense of fear and intimidation around his folks and even members of the council. This sets the ball rolling for a layered face-off with a hint of a revenge angle thrown in the mix that makes for a compelling viewing. 

The proceedings move at a leisurely pace that allows you time to get acquainted with every character in the drama while also sinking into the politics of the land that rules the roost. And the hierarchy that is showcased with respect to the politics of power was an interesting angle in itself. While the protagonist was serving his King, you had the landlord who was a powerful figure in the land dynamics, often resorting peasants to torture while terming it as ‘chaos’. On the other hand, you had the gypsy community who are shown to live on the outskirts of the land while often resorting to burglary to fend a living for themselves. Yet, a young girl from the latter forms an unlikely bond with the protagonist who in turn also falls for Ann, particularly after her husband falls prey to the atrocities of the landlord. 

There is a little more urgency after the revelation of the land being acquired leading to a bloodbath between the two parties. The drama follows some familiar beats in the genre but the makers always maintain a firm grip on the proceedings, never allowing the drama to slip away from their grasp. This includes an interesting turn of events leading to the final act that had a satisfactory conclusion, although I would have wished that the jump in the timeline was more focused on the solitude of the protagonist, an angle that he swiftly sways away from at the end. Nevertheless, the screenplay is compelling and forms umpteen moments to be cherished along the way.