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The Claim (2000)

tomatometer

63

Average Rating: 5.8/10
Reviews Counted: 84
Fresh: 53 | Rotten: 31

The Claim has rather flat characters and fosters a sense of detachment, but the visuals are stunning.

64

Average Rating: 6.2/10
Critic Reviews: 28
Fresh: 18 | Rotten: 10

The Claim has rather flat characters and fosters a sense of detachment, but the visuals are stunning.

audience

46

liked it
Average Rating: 3.1/5
User Ratings: 3,278

My Rating

Movie Info

One man's small empire threatens to collapse under the weight of his greed and deceit in this drama that transplants the story of Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge to 19th century America. In 1867, Dillon (Peter Mullan) is an Irish immigrant who settled in California during the Gold Rush of '49 and has done quite well for himself. Dillon owns nearly every business of consequence in the town of Kingdom Come; if someone wants to dig for gold, rent a room, open a bank account, or even order

R, 2 hr.

Western, Drama, Romance

Frank Cottrell Boyce

Dec 26, 2001

MGM Distribution Co

Cast

All Critics (94) | Top Critics (30) | Fresh (54) | Rotten (31) | DVD (10)

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

March 22, 2002 Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | Comment
Globe and Mail
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Easily the most compelling Western to hit our screens since Unforgiven.

June 11, 2001 Full Review Source: CNN.com | Comment
CNN.com
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A mournful, poetic, epic movie that lodges in the memory.

June 8, 2001 Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | Comment
Houston Chronicle
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Takes place against a frigid canvas gorgeously captured by Alwin Kuchler.

June 7, 2001 Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | Comment
Dallas Morning News
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A fine film that holds you at arm's length.

May 7, 2001 Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee | Comment
Sacramento Bee
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A rich emotional experience, ranging in degree from fire to ice.

May 4, 2001 Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | Comment
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Mature viewers only; kids won't be interested.

January 2, 2011 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | Comment
Common Sense Media

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

February 15, 2010 Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | Comment
TheMovieReport.com

If the story was as crisp as the snow, and the plot advanced faster than a glacier, this might have been a better film.

September 12, 2007 Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | Comment
Laramie Movie Scope

While we wait, characters tromp through the snow a lot.

March 4, 2006 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | Comment
Combustible Celluloid

Broody and beautiful, The Claim is guaranteed to give you the chills.

April 29, 2003 Full Review Source: RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland) | Comment

One of the year's most visually stylistic films.

December 8, 2002 Full Review Source: Film Threat | Comment
Film Threat

The Claim works best as an antitraditional Western epic that presents an allegorical drama of fate, retribution and redemption.

July 8, 2002 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | Comment
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

...may be the best movie you never saw in 2000.

April 16, 2002 Comment
Movie Metropolis
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for The Claim

What's more fun that a wagon of nitro blowing up a horse? If you like gold, snow and whores...you'll love the claim.

May 16, 2008
puffchunk
Curtis Lilly

Super Reviewer

Dillon: I don't drink anymore. I want you to know that.Between this movie and another overlooked film, Ravenous, I seem to enjoy movies set in the Sierra Nevadas during the 1860s.This movie takes place in said setting, and involves a town built on the finding of gold in the area, known as Kingdom Come. A town named

December 5, 2006
DrZeek

Super Reviewer

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