Appearances are deceptive in this loose adaptation of Thomas Hardy's 1886 novel The Mayor of Casterbridge . Dillon harbors a secret, as three newcomers gradually discover. One, Dalglish, is a railroad surveyor whose routing of the transcontinental line could multiply or dash Dillon's fortune. Accomplished young English director Michael Winterbottom has already impressed with Butterfly Kiss , Welcome to Sarajevo , and Wonderland .
Passions occasionally flare, then subside just as quickly.
As with Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns, there's a certain European romanticization of the American frontier that doesn't quite translate into our vernacular. Still, the flawed Claim has its cathartic power. And like a certain famous old monarch raging on the heath, Dillon's ultimate loss of kingdom and family is heartbreaking for its tragic inevitability. Send a Letter to the Editor about this story.