The Claim

Surveyors for the Central Pacific Railway get more than they bargained for in the snow-covered Sierra Nevadas during the 19th century when marriage, murder, shame and sickness stop them dead in their tracks. The chief engineer, played by the fuzzy-faced Wes Bentley, endures deadly explosions and grueling treks with the hopes of fulfilling his promise of bringing the railroad through a small town of brothels, brawls and booze for the rich and revered Mr. Dillon (Peter Mullan). Although the uncooperative terrain leads to a broken promise, the wealthy mayor has bigger problems to worry about as he abandons his deceived mistress (Milla Jovovich) upon the return of his bedridden wife (Nastassja Kinski) and innocent daughter (Sarah Polley), whom he hastily sold 20 years ago. Basing their work on Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge, the writer/director duo that created Welcome to Sarajevo in 1997 adapted this story of intense situations and complex characters without the intensity and complexity.