The Claim [WS] [DVD] [2000]

Though director Michael Winterbottom's visually sumptuous and emotionally powerful Western went virtually ignored theatrically, MGM Home Entertainment's DVD of the film will hopefully garner an appreciative audience. Sadly, the disc offers up no substantial extras other than the original theatrical trailer (not even a cast and crew bio page). The disc could have really used a commentary track, as the film's arduous production outside of Calgary, Canada, would have offered up plenty of interesting details about working under such calamitous conditions. Nevertheless, the disc is a must, as the picture quality is superb. Offered in its original theatrical ratio of 2.35:1, enhanced for widescreen TVs, the film's beautiful cinematography by Alwin Kuchler is perfectly showcased here. The delicate warmth of many of the interior shots are balanced and finely detailed, especially in the darker scenes. Blacks are indeed black and there is a richness to them. The exterior shots also offer up plenty of detail, and the desaturated color scheme transfers nicely. The film's widescreen compositions really need to be seen in a theater to be fully appreciated, but this disc is nevertheless a stunner. The disc has been given an excellent English 5.1 surround soundtrack, as well as a Spanish 5.1 track. The low bass end is quite thunderous at times, though it never overpowers the dialogue. The film is also equipped with French and Spanish subtitles.