Berlinale 2020: FIRST COW

Anyone familiar with Kelly Reichardt’s work will know that the veteran filmmaker is a minimalist when it comes to her approach to cinema. Her films tend to err on the far side of subtlety, which may frustrate certain viewers, but also enthral those who have the patience to fully immerse themselves in her work. And to be perfectly honest, having patience is an absolute necessity when it comes to First Cow. Unfortunately, even with every ounce of patience, the film does not necessarily result in the level of satisfaction one might hope for. While Reichardt seems to be well intentioned here, First Cow falters by being frustratingly empty in both its delivery and narrative focus.

Set in the 1820s Northwest, the film follows two wayward travellers played by John Magaro and Orion Lee. After discovering the profitability of a neighbouring cow’s fresh milk, the two become running fugitives as the farm animal’s owner learns about their ongoing thievery. This sets off a hunt for the two fugitives, who do what they can to abate the punishment of being caught. There are also strong supporting roles played by Toby Jones, Scott Shepherd and Lily Gladstone, who all help add their own comedic tendencies to film’s backbone.

An inability to clear the narrative fog

By writing in Native American characters and having one of the fugitive travellers be of Chinese descent (Lee), it’s clear that Reichardt sets the stage for examining the tortuous injustices of colonization and the cultural uprooting of indigenous people. Themes like racial and class disparities are also put under the microscope, and similar to her previous films, percolate in the background like a slowly drifting cloud. The only problem here is that when the cloud eventually nears a distance, it creates more fog, rather than clarity, for its audience. I sat through the film waiting for that moment of clarity to present itself, but it unfortunately never came.

Another issue may stem from the screenplay’s use of 1800s dialogue, which at times adds even more convolution to an already packed narrative. The film’s dimly lit night shots are also problematic, which stacks on top of the already difficult viewing experience. This is a rare misstep for Christopher Blauvelt, a frequent collaborator of Reichardt, whose previous work has certainly solidified him as a capable cinematographer. In the end, all the wondrous ideas feel disjointed and simply isn’t able to connect in any meaningful way.

A muted buddy comedy film

Despite many a dark exteriors, the budding relationship between the characters played by Magaro and Lee help illuminate the film’s narration with both tender and fun moments. In fact, the screenplay seems to be relatively successful in creating an environment that is actually quite playful and charming. There are a number of pleasant moments between the two leading men, and one might wonder if Reichardt was attempting to create her own version of a buddy comedy film.

She certainly sets the stage for all this, and had First Cow been re-structured to place more emphasis on their budding relationship, it would have been a much different film. Perhaps not the film that was intended by design, but one that might’ve carried more emotional attachment and made the narrative nuances more easily digestible.

First Cow: Final thoughts

As expected, First Cow feels very much like a Reichardt film. It has all the soft beats and slow transitions to create the contemplative narrative we’ve grown to expect from the evolving auteur. The film also tries to explore some interesting ideas, but falls short of unpacking these thoughts with any meaningful conviction. It’s hard not to leave First Cow feeling somewhat empty and underwhelmed, which is unfortunate given how layered and complex the film set out to be.

First Cow screened at Berlinale 2020.