The Promised Land

The Promised Land

Year: 1975

Runtime: 179 mins

Language: Polish

Director: Andrzej Wajda

HistoryDrama

Set in nineteenth‑century Łódź, three enterprising friends pool their resources to build and invest in a textile factory, hoping to strike it rich. Their story frames a vivid portrait of the town’s swift industrial boom, capturing the ambitions, risks and social changes that reshaped Poland’s textile hub.

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Timeline & Setting – The Promised Land (1975)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Promised Land (1975). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Late 19th century

Set against the height of European industrial expansion, the film tracks the rise of factory capitalism in a Polish city, the cross-border trade in Hamburg, and the cosmopolitan exile to Berlin. The period is defined by rapid modernization, volatile markets, and the growing tension between wealth and social responsibility. The narrative anchors its drama in a time when industrial ambition often outran moral consideration.

Location

Łódź, Berlin, Hamburg

Łódź is depicted as the cradle of a booming textile capitalism, a crowded industrial city where factories reshape the landscape and social order. The narrative also follows movements to Berlin and Hamburg, highlighting how capital and influence traverse borders. These locations symbolize the global reach of industrial wealth and the precariousness of success.

🏭 Industrial city 🗺️ European city 💼 Textile industry

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:20

Main Characters – The Promised Land (1975)

Meet the key characters of The Promised Land (1975), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Karol Borowiecki (Daniel Olbrychski)

A ruthless young Polish nobleman and managing engineer who pursues wealth with single-minded intensity. He dismisses his family’s decline and pursues a plan to set up his own factory with friends. His merciless drive and reluctance to show compassion set the course for his rise and the catastrophe that follows.

🔥 Ambition 💼 Power

Maks Baum (Andrzej Seweryn)

German heir to an old handloom factory; a pragmatic, calculating ally to Borowiecki. He flirts with high-risk ventures and bankrolls schemes to turn a profit as the industrial boom unfolds. His collaboration with Borowiecki and Welt exposes the transnational nature of capital.

🧭 Collaboration 💎 Wealth

Moritz Welt (Wojciech Pszoniak)

Independent Jewish businessman navigating a volatile market with shrewd logic. He partners with Borowiecki and Baum to capitalize on industrial and mercantile opportunities. His decisions illustrate the cosmopolitan reach of capital in this era.

🌐 Trade 🤝 Partnership

Lucy Zuckerowa (Kalina Jędrusik)

Wife of a powerful textile magnate Zucker; she becomes Borowiecki's lover, drawing him into a web of jealousy, loyalty, and danger. The affair triggers social and personal consequences as she is watched by Zucker. Her position tests the boundaries between desire and power.

💘 Romance 🗡️ Betrayal

Mada Müller (Bożena Dykiel)

Heiress who becomes Borowiecki's wife, providing financial security that helps him expand control over his factory. Her wealth marks a new phase in his rise and underscores the transactional nature of aristocratic and capitalist alliances. Her alliance strengthens his enterprise but cannot heal moral rifts.

💎 Marriage 🏭 Wealth

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:20

Major Themes – The Promised Land (1975)

Explore the central themes of The Promised Land (1975), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💰 Ambition & Wealth

The protagonists chase wealth with relentless energy, risking personal sacrifice and ethical compromises to build their empires. Ambition drives decisions that overlook the needs of workers and the wider community. Wealth becomes both a lure and a burden, shaping relationships and destinies.

💔 Betrayal & Jealousy

Personal loyalties crumble as romantic entanglements collide with business interests. Affairs and betrayals trigger cycles of suspicion and revenge, amplifying the costs of pursuing power. The hurt reverberates beyond individuals, impacting families and partnerships.

👷‍♂️ Labor & Control

Workers become the fulcrum of the storyline, their protests testing the owners' resolve. The owners' response to strike pressure reveals how power is exercised and contested in an industrial society. The tension between management and labor exposes the moral limits of coercion and authority.

⏳ Change & Consequence

A guiding voice reminds that it is never too late to change, yet actions reveal whether true transformation is possible. The characters confront the consequences of their choices, facing a future shaped by past ruthlessness. The tale weighs whether wealth and success can coexist with humanity.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:20

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about ruthless ambition like The Promised Land

Stories of driven characters corrupted by the relentless pursuit of wealth and power.If you enjoyed the moral decay and high-stakes ambition in The Promised Land, explore these similar movies. This collection features intense historical dramas and character studies where the relentless pursuit of wealth and power comes at a heavy personal and ethical cost.

ambitiousruthlessgrippingtensemelancholiccoldoppressive

Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread often follow a linear rise-and-fall (or rise-and-corruption) arc, where a protagonist's initial drive for success is gradually overshadowed by ethical compromises, betrayals, and a deepening isolation. The central conflict pits personal ambition against humanistic values, usually concluding with a pyrrhic victory or a tragic loss of self.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on the corrosive nature of ambition within capitalist or power-driven systems. They share a dark tone, heavy emotional weight, and a critical perspective on how the pursuit of success can dismantle morality and human connection.

Gritty industrial revolution movies like The Promised Land

Vivid historical epics depicting the brutal human cost of societal progress.For viewers who liked the setting and social themes of The Promised Land, this list features similar movies about the industrial revolution. Discover other historical dramas that capture the ambition, exploitation, and class conflict of a society being reshaped by rapid industrialization.

oppressivegrippingtensemelancholicsweepinghistoricalgritty

Narrative Summary

These stories often unfold on an epic scale, intertwining the fates of multiple characters from different social classes—capitalists, workers, opportunists—against the backdrop of a transforming world. The narrative is driven by the inherent conflicts of progress: innovation versus exploitation, ambition versus solidarity, and wealth versus human dignity.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their immersive, often bleak, depiction of a specific industrial revolution period. They share a high intensity stemming from social conflict, a steady pacing that builds a detailed world, and a focus on themes like class struggle, exploitation, and the ambiguous nature of progress.

Unlock the Full Story of The Promised Land

Don't stop at just watching — explore The Promised Land in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what The Promised Land is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

The Promised Land Summary

Read a complete plot summary of The Promised Land, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

The Promised Land Summary

The Promised Land Timeline

Track the full timeline of The Promised Land with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

The Promised Land Timeline

The Promised Land Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of The Promised Land that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

The Promised Land Spoiler-Free Summary

More About The Promised Land

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about The Promised Land: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About The Promised Land

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Discover movies like The Promised Land that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.