Out in the West, a New Friendship Sparks the Pursuit of a Dream

Orion Lee and John Magaro in "First Cow"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Kelly Reichardt is a filmmaker whose movies have told the stories of rural communities and the working-class individuals who inhabit those areas.  One such movie she accomplished this with is her 2008 movie, “Wendy and Lucy,” which told the story of a young woman (Michelle Williams) who loses her dog and tries to find her.  Although this is the only movie of Reichardt’s that I’ve seen (before her latest film), it’s clear just from this film that she has a talent for getting the fullest emotional impacts from these modest stories.

She shows that her ability for such storytelling is as strong as ever with her newest movie, “First Cow,” a humorous and tender old-west story that finds its heart within the terrific pairing of its two leads.

In the 19th-century, Cookie Figowitz (John Magaro) travels with a group of fur trappers towards the Oregon Territory.  He soon forms a friendship with a Chinese immigrant, King Lu (Orion Lee), and they decide to go into business for themselves and sell baked goods, which requires them to secretly milk a cow that belongs to Chief Factor (Toby Jones), a wealthy landowner.

The chemistry between Magaro and Lee compliments the small-scale nature of the film because the film is basically an intimate story about a friendship that grows out of their shared dreams for success.  The bond that the two of them share exudes a sense of warmth as they get to know each other and strive towards the same goals.  You feel every bit of the deep connection that they form, and Magaro and Lee imbue their interactions with a genuineness that sweeps you into their geniality.  Even through everyday conversations, we see the emotional attachment that forms between Magaro and Lee’s characters, an attachment that leaves us engaged in how much they care for each other.

The cinematography by Christopher Blauvelt, who provided the camerawork for Reichardt’s films “Meek’s Cutoff,” “Night Moves,” and “Certain Women,” provides the film with a square frame, yet is still able to capture the beauty of the Northwest as Cookie and King travel the lands.  There’s a lushness to the landscapes as we’re brought through the greenery of the woods and down the creeks, placing us right in the middle of nature’s peacefulness and absorbing us within the beauty of these settings. 

Between the smallness of the frame and the extensive use of closeups, the camerawork heightens the sense of camaraderie between Cookie and King.  All of this gives us a sense of how strong their friendship is and exemplifies their commitment to each other as they provide one another with encouragement and protection as their business ventures soon place them in a threatening situation.

The screenplay by Reichardt and Jonathan Raymond, who has written or co-written the screenplays for several of Reichardt’s films, is based on his novel, “The Half Life.”  You can’t let the straightforward nature of the story fool you because at the heart of this narrative is a friendship that’s richly explored in what starts out as a risky, yet simple venture that soon turns into something that’s a little more dangerous.  We see how their bond evolves throughout the events of the movie, showing us how strong their connection has become because of how they stick with each other, no matter the trouble in which they may find themselves.

Reichardt provides a tremendous amount of detail when it comes to bringing the film’s time period to life.  Between the costumes, set design, and the smaller, everyday touches in the lives of the characters, we’re absorbed into this era as we witness the main characters try to make it through day by day and earn a living.  Given how well-researched this depiction of 19th-century Oregon is, Reichardt and her team show their resourcefulness in making sure that she’s as accurate as possible.

There are also moments where Reichardt produces some superb moments of tension.  However, she’s able to avoid jarring tonal shifts between these moments and the warmer sequences by keeping the suspenseful segments low-key and not compromising the understated approach of the rest of the movie.

“First Cow” accomplishes a lot, but its main success is showing how Reichardt continues to be a filmmaker who champions economic techniques, exhibiting a confidence of not requiring much to tell a memorable story.  Instead, Reichardt works hard to get everything that she can out of what she has; and with the main characters being in a similar situation, this couldn’t be a more perfect fit of a director and her movie.

Grade: A