Warhas been, and always will be, a stain on humanity. A cross we, as an eight billion-strong and growing civilization, will forever bear. Upon reflection, these murderous conflicts are frequently glamorized, with Hollywood and the wider film industry adopting the propensity to glorify these barbaric, life-altering events. Valor, honor, patriotism, and heroism are all qualities many a war flick has been constructed on or around, further honing in on the positive tales of those unfortunate enough to be involved.
Land of Mine
Every so often, filmmakers will deviate from these familiar stories of death-defying bravery and address the true reality of war, the mass dealing in human life, the horrifying bloodshed, and the traumatic impact it had on those forced to take up arms for causes that weren’t their own.
While not directly concerning the art of combat,Land of Mineis a pertinent reminder that there are no winners when it comes to war. Released in 2015, this depiction of true events provides a distressing portrayal of what happened after Germany surrendered, and the work German Prisoners of War were forced to carry out. Martin Pieter Zandvliet’s meditative approach to exposing the wider implications of warring factions is truly distinguished, and, as such, this understated, yet, deeply affecting Danish war drama is arguably, one of, if not the most underrated, war films of all time. Let’s take a look at whyLand of Mineis themost underrated war filmever.
The Shocking Aftermath of War
Unlike many war films,Land of Mineopts to explore the devastating aftermath of war, and the painful restoration process. In this instance, we are introduced to a group of adolescent German prisoners of war, who have been held captive in Denmark since the war’s conclusion. As the relevant authorities deliberate over what to do with this hoard of imprisoned soldiers, these young men, many no older than 20, are put to work on Danish beaches.
With hundreds of thousands of Nazi land mines embedded in the sand, the German POWs are perilously tasked with their manual removal, a job that was essentially a suicide mission. Having to crawl on their hands and knees to diffuse these un-detonated bombs, Land of Mine offers abrutally realistic representationof what it was like.
Land of Mineis an emphatic demonstration of how the plight of humankind continued long after the battlefields were vacated, and the bombs stopped falling from above. The film shines a spotlight on a lesser-known story, and one that highlights how evil didn’t stop with the death of the Third Reich, but continued via the unforgiving hand of the Geneva Conventions, which took a hard-line attitude when it came to dealing with prisoners of war and the German population in general.
Throughout this harrowing portrayal, the unrelenting tension is palpable,somewhat reminiscent of Kathryn Bigelow’sThe Hurt Locker, albeit without the transformer-like protective armor and high-tech bomb disposal equipment. The prolonged torture of these young men is unbearable, andLand of Mineexposes the immense cruelty of what many were made to do.
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Humanizing Those From an Axis-Perspective
As one of the verybest films from a German and Axis perspective,Land of Mineprovides an alternative take on the traditional war flick. Unsurprisingly, those of a German persuasion, especially during the Second World War, have always been vilified due to the abhorrent actions of those in power.Land of Minesuccessfully acknowledges that, however, it also does a splendid job at reinstating humanity to powerless German foot soldiers, brainwashed by the incessant Nazi war machine, churning out an endless barrage of propaganda.
In this instance, these German soldiers, some still in their teens, have essentially been forced to carry out the orders of those in senior positions, with acts of treason punishable by firing squad if they refuse.
Abandoned by their country, fearing for their lives,Land of Mineunderlines the relative innocence of these young men, and the grim card they’ve been dealt. The film is a compelling, and often tear-jerking distillation of what it was like for many prisoners of war following the conclusion of this devastating conflict. Martin Zandvliet does an exceptional job at capturing a detailed illustration of these young men, like any other, harboring hopes, dreams, and aspirations for a brighter future, abolishing this hardened attitude towards them to talk to the innate humanity inside us all.
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The Ultimate Character Arc and Career-Defining Display by Roland Møller
The desensitized Dane, tasked with overseeing this assortment of young, frightened Germans, is the film’s real symbol of redemption. Initially a compassionless tyrant, Sergeant Carl (Roland Møller) has a pure, uncompromising hatred for Germans, regularly succumbing to his deep-rooted resentment towards them following their invasion of his native Denmark. As such, Carl originally features as the film’s primary antagonist with his merciless, heavy-handed governing of the men at his disposal.
However, going from totalitarian ruler to old-school teacher, and from old-school teacher to a man with a caring, almost paternal instinct, the audience witnesses this heartwarming shift as Carl begins to display signs of real attachment to this group of young men.
From chastising them in an overbearing, brutish, and intimidating manner to warming to their youthful incandescence, the stern Dane eventually goes above and beyond to help them escape what is ostensibly a death sentence, with his empathy, morality, and inner yearning for justice coming to the very fore. Roland Møller hands in a performance that is fueled by such intense emotion and the utmost conviction. His on-screen empathy and soul-stirring character arc are the film’s driving narrative forces.
Despite this being awar film that doesn’t contain any battle scenes, death is an inescapable guarantee in war, yet,Land of Mineis a movie that confronts the issue of needless and senseless killing, and how, as a people, we elongated this mass genocide through methods designed to punish the wrong people, such as this.
