Land of Mine

Great stuff and a different view of war. The film is about young German POWs who are tasked with clearing a minefield on a beach under the command of the brutal Roland Møller. It’s a powerful story with a very strong atmosphere and enough chilling scenes to keep the viewer's attention. 8.5/10. (21/01/2020)

War movies can still surprise me by their story. Under sandet is one of those surprises. It’s a story from Denmark about what happened after the end of WWII. I wouldn’t have thought that the Germans would be disarming anti-personnel mines on the beaches, just like I wouldn’t have thought that I’ll form any sort of connection with those 15-year-old German boys. But both ended up to be true and this has made the movie into an incredible experience. Plus, I’ll be sure to remember to be interested in Roland Møller’s movies in the future. (16/08/2016)

The Hurt Locker 1945. Tangible subliminal tension, the more minimalist the more consistent the study of characters in the point break situations (literally), no black-and-white moral questions of collective guilt (taking the skeletons out from the closets, kind of Danish equivalent of displacing German citizens in Czechoslovakia) and all this is topped by impressive subdued performances and unusually apt (and chilling!) musical undertone. It will squeeze emotions out of you through already in recent years trademark (hello Lindholm) Danish reserved approach in, which is delusive with its apparent Nordic coldness. However, the opposite is true, as it gets stuck under the skin more than anything else. Clearly the best (non)-war movie in recent years. (17/10/2016)

An excellently written drama that raises very uncomfortable questions about morality, responsibility, guilt, and punishment. It is shortly after the Second World War and the Danish coast is infested with a huge number of mines. No one wants to risk the worst possible outcome while disposing of them, and the logical consequence is to call on prisoners of war. The soldier in charge of supervising the unit has no reason to be lenient towards the Germans - in fact, he wants to repay them for years of humiliation and suffering with interest. But at the end of the war, there were no experienced war veterans on the Jutland Peninsula, and the collapsing German Reich needed battle-ready men on critical sections of the front. To one soldier's surprise, he finds himself in charge of a group of young boys in military uniforms. His determination to humiliate and crush the prisoners begins to crack. The culprits of the war and the defeated side are clear, but how severe should the punishment be and who exactly should be guilty of paying it is no longer so clear. Land of Mine is a film that humanizes the enemy by showing their faces. It stands in opposition to the ancient eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth mentality. At the same time, at the time when the story takes place, European countries were dealing with the problem of collaboration and minorities composed of members of defeated nations. Where passions could be tamed from the beginning and efforts for retaliation could be curbed, and where a stop to moral depravity was declared, they ultimately fared much better and resisted the allure of political radicalism. On the other hand, it is good to look at events and problems from all sides and to understand the motives of the supervisor, I would recommend watching films like The Pianist, Come and See, or Son of Saul. Overall impression: 95%. (18/08/2017)

There are plenty of nations in Europe that could make dozens of films like Land of Mine. The Danes probably have a single theme, but not only will they film it, but they will film it consistently, distantly, and without artificial vicissitudes and pathos. The theme itself is exceptional, but Zandvliet can indeed get a consistently civil drama going in which broader questions of collective guilt and the legitimacy of revenge resonate. A mature, accurate and very elegantly filmed story about post-war explosive soil. I have respected Roland Møller for a long time, but here he demonstrates his undoubtedly most nuanced and sophisticated performance. (28/01/2017)