The Claim (DVD, 2003)

Douglas Berquist, Andrew Eaton

5060002830130

3951829

The Claim

Kate Hennig, Frank Zotter, Marie Brassard, Karolina Muller, Grant Linneberg, David Lereaney, Marty Antonini, Ron Anderson, Barry Ward, Milla Jovovich, Lydia Lau, Gil Rivera Blas, Fernando Davalos, Tom Mccamus, Shirley Henderson, Royal Sproule, Christopher Hunt, Sarah Polley, Tim Koetting, Valerie Planche, Artur Ciastkowski, Julian Richings, Jimmy Herman, Duncan Fraser, Billy Morton, Peter Mullan, Wes Bentley, Randy Birch, Sean Mcginley, Nastassja Kinski, Doctor Benoit

Michael Winterbottom

DVD

English

2003

Widescreen, Trailer-1. Original Theatrical Trailer

16:9 Wide Screen

Drama, Romantic

116 Mins

15

1

Alwin Kuchler

Ken Rempel

Joanne Hansen

Mark Tildesley

Sight and Sound - ...THE CLAIM is a film of extraordinary images....[Kinski] gives a performance of great warmth and intensity..., Movieline - ...[A] meaty, meaningful film...that bring[s] rare insights to the subject of money and the havoc it can wreak..., Total Film - "...It's refreshing to see an English director working within a traditionally American genre, and yet maintaining an outsider's perspective....THE CLAIM is Winterbottom's most accomplished film yet..." -- 4 out of 5 stars, Los Angeles Times - ...Affecting....The look of the film is terrific, and the actors, carefully cast, perform admirably; Michael Nyman's score soars and cascades..., Entertainment Weekly - ...The cast is individually intelligent, refined and understated..., Premiere - ...An endlessly wrenching and compelling story....Moviemaking of the first order...

In transporting Thomas Hardy's THE MAYOR OF CASTERBRIDGE to the American West, English director Michael Winterbottom has fashioned an audacious, epic anti-Western that is a haunting achievement. Set in 1849, the story concerns Mr. Dillon (Peter Mullan), the ruler of Kingdom Come, a snow-covered mining town in Northern California. The story opens with the arrival of Dalglish (Wes Bentley), a handsome surveyor for the Pacific Coast Railroad, who is searching for the most sensible way to turn the dream of a transcontinental railroad into a reality. Also drifting into town are the seriously ill Elena (Nastassja Kinski) and her daughter, Hope (Sarah Polley), who have ambiguous ties to Dillon. Immediately, Hope and Dalglish become acquainted, but their potential romance is threatened by the presence of Lucia (Milla Jovavich), a Portuguese madam who lives with Dillon. As Dalglish reaches a decision regarding the railroad, Dillon must painfully confront mistakes he's made in the past, triggering a series of tragic occurrences.
Winterbottom's lush, expansive film miraculously manages to retain the somber spirit of Hardy's classically English tale. Employing the techniques that made Robert Altman's MCCABE & MRS. MILLER such a breathtaking spectacle--including Alwin Kuchler's dazzling cinematography and Michael Nyman's mesmerizing score--Winterbottom proves once again that he is an accomplished filmmaker who isn't afraid to tackle any genre.

The Claim

Marty Katz

Frank Cottrell Boyce

Trevor Waite, Larry Becker