First Cow is a triumph of gentle story telling
Posted on 21st October 2021
Based on screenwriter Jonathan Raymond’s novel, director Kelly Reichardt film is not a story that gets told in a hurry. As much a collage of scenes as a narrative, it is shot with simplicity and told with a tenderness that shows the American west in all its beauty and brutality.
Foreshadowed by a modern day prologue, where two human skeletons are discovered in Oregon woodland, there is an ominous tone from the outset, notwithstanding the seeming whimsy of stolen milk. Rather than the widescreen we have become so used to seeing represent the America landscape, cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt Reichardt emphasises the humanity of the characters with a tightly framed picture filled with an ensemble cast. John Magaro and Orion Lee make for an odd couple as they dream of getting rich in the face of circumstance and common sense. Like a poor man’s Butch and Sundance, Cookie and King-Lu battle against the odds for little victories, while the rich and powerful ensure even their humble ambitions may just be out of reach.
The role of the rich and powerful is filled by Toby Jones, bringing gravitas to what might otherwise have been a slight tale. Scene stealing as the pompous, top-hatted Chief Factor, he owns the eponymous first cow to make its way to this part of the world. An absurd status symbol that acts as an apposite symbol in a film that is deceptively topical, despite its historical setting.