Land of Mine is Danish-German historical drama film about one of the lesser-known, but still tragic, episodes of the Second World War. Shortly after the surrender of Germany, around 2,000 German POWs captured by Allied forces in Denmark were forced to clear the country of landmines. Many of them were only teenagers, and half of them were killed or maimed in the process. The film focuses on a group of about a dozen of these prisoners, overseen by a Danish army officer- Sgt. Rasmussen (Roland Møller). Although he hates the Germans for what they did to his country, over time he slowly becomes fond of the group, all of whom are just teenagers. But clearing mines is dangerous work, and not all of them will make it out alive.
Land of Mine, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Feature this year, is definitely a “movie with a message”. The film is anything but subtle, as is apparent by the title. However, although the movie can be heavy-handed at times, it is a well-made movie. The acting is quite good, particularly from Roland Møller but also the group of young German actors who play the POWs. The cinematography is also very attractive- the area that the groups of POWs must clear in the film is a beach of the Danish west coast, and cinematographer Camilla Hjelm Knudsen makes excellent use of the Nordic seaside.
Although it was unfortunately not released in Boston until after the Academy Awards, Land of Mine is a solid historical drama film about an unknown story from World War II that deserves to be told, and the movie is certainly worth a watch if you’re a fan of the genre.
Grade: B
Land of Mine, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Feature this year, is definitely a “movie with a message”. The film is anything but subtle, as is apparent by the title. However, although the movie can be heavy-handed at times, it is a well-made movie. The acting is quite good, particularly from Roland Møller but also the group of young German actors who play the POWs. The cinematography is also very attractive- the area that the groups of POWs must clear in the film is a beach of the Danish west coast, and cinematographer Camilla Hjelm Knudsen makes excellent use of the Nordic seaside.
Although it was unfortunately not released in Boston until after the Academy Awards, Land of Mine is a solid historical drama film about an unknown story from World War II that deserves to be told, and the movie is certainly worth a watch if you’re a fan of the genre.
Grade: B
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