The Claim

R

Released Dec 29, 2000

2 hr. 0 min.

Drama

List

62%

85 Reviews

Tomatometer

49%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Dillon (Peter Mullan) is a pioneer who defied the harsh winter in search of rumored gold. Having amassed unimaginable riches, he runs a thriving mining town called Kingdom Come. But the blind ambition and greed that drove him to succeed finally catch up to him with the arrival of 3 strangers. Dalglish (Wes Bentley) a surveyor looking to expand the railroad threatens the future of the town -- and 2 women from Dillon's past hold a secret that could be his undoing.

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Critics Consensus

Though it sometimes feels cold and detached, The Claim is evocative, beautifully shot, and full of understated performances.

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jon c

Wes Bentley, Sarah Polley, Milla Jovovich, Peter Mullen Mullen is a man Daniel Dillon. He sells his wife and daughter to get ahead in business becomes immensely rich and successful in 1849. Everyone is after the claim of the century: gold. Dillon is an Irish immigrant who settles in the high mountains of California. He has a vault filled with gold and a town of his own, named Kingdom Come. Dillon owns nearly every business of consequence in the town; if someone digs for gold, rents a hotel room, opens a bank account, or commits a crime, they will have to deal with him. Twenty years later, when Dillon is an accomplished gold miner, his past comes calling. Polley plays Dillon's daughter Hope. Bentley is Donald Dalglish, a surveyor with the Central Pacific Railroad, who wants to put a train either through Kingdom Come, or somewhere in the vicinity. Dillon is anxious to ensure that the railway line is routed through "his" town, as this will bring more business. Milla plays Lucia, a vocalist and the object of Dillon's affection who operates the brothel. A new era is taking shape. The movie lacks any real heart or emotion and there's a lot of characters to keep track of. But they do manage to establish the right mood in the wintry landscape of a small part of the nation. The performances are great from Mullen, Jovovich and Polley. The film is beautifully filmed against this cold backdrop. The music can be a bit distracting at times but Michael Winterbottom is a competent director with players being as cold and searing as their home setting. Facing the past is just as upsetting as facing the future. There has to be room for change and nothing can stay the same.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

there is actually no romance.. The Claim Winterbottom's poignant western venture is not only depressing but also is demotivating on terms of the gut wrenching darkness it consists. A sloppy adaptation of Hardy's novel The Mayor Of Casterbridge is still not the primary weakness of this feature. It is undeniably stable and the tone is persistent whose credit goes to the sincerity of the makers that they depict each sequence with and clearly they haven't taken the material for granted. But unfortunately, mannerism isn't everything, especially in here. There is actually no romance between the viewers and the movie and even though there are stunning rich visuals that lures the audience and demand attention from the first frame. There doesn't rely a genuine reason for you to keep rooting for this world, characters or tale. And the characters are well constructed, just like the storyline, but presumably all of that is Hardy and not Winterbottom. As far as Winterbottom's work is concerned, there is no fluidity and reasoning to tell such a dry tale. Bentley doesn't hold up to the character's range that he is allotted, he seems awfully distracted and aiming for the wrong viewers. Unfortunately, Jovovich too feels short handed on supporting him. The only savior of this on-screen-host is Mullan in his ethically challenged role that puts him in a bitter spot of regret and mourne. And he with his rage and reserved act expresses it beautifully on screen; also his track is much more compelling than others. Armed with such a potential script, Winterbottom misses an opportunity to create an emotionally driven complex western drama and instead ends up on a mellow note which actually should have been thrilling and exuberant for the viewers. The Claim is apt description of a good intention gone wrong, what it could have been is never explored and what it has to be doesn't have a concrete ground to stand on.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This one is long, slow, & boring. Not much more to say about the Claim.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I love westerns but this was so slow paced it was hard to sit through. More style than plot.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I saw it but do not recall it well.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Sencilla y emotiva. De lo mejor de Winterbottom. Muy bonito scire de Nyman.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

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Michael Winterbottom

Director

Peter Mullan

Daniel Dillon

Wes Bentley

Donald Dalglish

Milla Jovovich

Lucia

Nastassja Kinski

Elena Dillon

Sarah Polley

Hope Dillon

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Sheila Norman-Culp

Associated Press

Michael Winterbottom's The Claim is not your father's Western. It is simply exhilarating.

Jan 23, 2019

Full Review

Kimberley Jones

Austin Chronicle

Rated: 4/5

Mar 10, 2003

Full Review

Rick Groen

Globe and Mail

The audience is simply left with the task of fitting together the allegory's easy pieces.

Rated: 2.5/4

Mar 22, 2002

Full Review

John A. Nesbit

Old School Reviews

like a collegiate literature class in Thomas Hardy

Rated: C

May 20, 2012

Full Review

M. Faust

Common Sense Media

Mature viewers only; kids won't be interested.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 2, 2011

Full Review

Michael Dequina

TheMovieReport.com

The emotions of the piece are as palpable as the neverending snowfall.

Rated: 3/4

Feb 15, 2010

Full Review

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Synopsis

Dillon (Peter Mullan) is a pioneer who defied the harsh winter in search of rumored gold. Having amassed unimaginable riches, he runs a thriving mining town called Kingdom Come. But the blind ambition and greed that drove him to succeed finally catch up to him with the arrival of 3 strangers. Dalglish (Wes Bentley) a surveyor looking to expand the railroad threatens the future of the town -- and 2 women from Dillon's past hold a secret that could be his undoing.

Director: Michael Winterbottom
Executive Producer: Andrea Calderwood, Alexis Lloyd, Martin Katz
Screenwriter: Thomas Hardy, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Frank Cottrell Boyce
Distributor: United Artists, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Revolution Films, Arts Council of England, Grosvenor Park Productions, BBC, DB Entertainment, Le Studio Canal +, Alliance Atlantis Communications, Pathé Pictures
Rating: R (Some Language|Sexuality|Violence)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 29, 2000, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Apr 20, 2001
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $622.0K
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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