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The Claim
2000
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 .. Read more
| Starring | Peter Mullan, Milla Jovovich, Wes Bentley, Nastassja Kinski |
|---|---|
| Director | Michael Winterbottom |
| Genres | Drama, Romance |
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The Claim
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.
| Starring | Peter Mullan, Milla Jovovich, Wes Bentley, Nastassja Kinski, Shirley Henderson, Sarah Polley, Sean McGinley, Tom McCamus, Duncan Fraser, Jimmy Herman, Marie Brassard, Marty Antonini, Julian Richings, Ron Anderson, Doctor Benoit, Randy Birch |
|---|---|
| Director | Michael Winterbottom |
| Studio | PATHE DISTRIBUTION |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 56 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama, Romance |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 30 Jun 2003 Production year: 2000 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (6)
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Michael Winterbottom follows up his earlier Thomas Hardy adaptation, Jude (1996), with this ambitious drama inspired by The Mayor of Casterbridge. Originally titled Kingdom Come (the name of the gold-rush town where it is set), the film boasts some superb performances from a cast that includes Nastassja Kinski, Milla Jovovich, Peter Mullan, Sarah Polley and Wes Bentley. Mullan plays Daniel Dillon, who sells his wife and baby daughter to a gold prospector in return for the claim to a gold mine. Years later, he has built the town of Kingdom Come and enjoys a relationship with a brothel owner (Jovovich), but the past returns to haunt him in the form of his dying wife (Kinski) and grown-up daughter (Polley). Reminiscent of Heaven's Gate in places, this is beautifully filmed by Winterbottom and cinematographer Alwin Kuchler — packed with stunning scenery and wintry wastelands. And, while some of the characters aren't fully developed (namely Polley's and Bentley's), this is nonetheless a fascinating and often haunting tale.
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The snow-covered mountains and isolated community form an ideal backdrop for a chill family drama based on Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge; it lacks the moral dimension of Hardy's tale, settling for a more familiar Western story of a rubber baron
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Most helpful member's review
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Arty, thought-provoking Western
This one won't be for everyone -- for a Western, it's quite arty, with the emphasis on characterisation and cinematography, and the conflict is largely based on dialogue and human relationships rather than physical action. The dramatic key that underpins the whole story is the prospector who traded his wife and infant daughter in return for a gold claim. A couple of decades later, he's become the local Mr Big on the basis of the mine he developed from that claim -- but then he has to deal with the reappearance of his long-lost wife and a grown-up daughter he never really knew.
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Most recent members' review
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Arty, thought-provoking Western
This one won't be for everyone -- for a Western, it's quite arty, with the emphasis on characterisation and cinematography, and the conflict is largely based on dialogue and human relationships rather than physical action. The dramatic key that underpins the whole story is the prospector who traded his wife and infant daughter in return for a gold claim. A couple of decades later, he's become the local Mr Big on the basis of the mine he developed from that claim -- but then he has to deal with the reappearance of his long-lost wife and a grown-up daughter he never really knew.
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