The movie
First Cow
Kelly Reichardt’s marvellous Western is set in 1820 in Oregon and hinges on the friendship between two outsiders determined to make their way in a ruthless and uncompromising wilderness world.
Description
‘Reichardt gives us a terrifically tough and sinewy tale of the old west, shaped by the brutally implacable market forces of capitalism… She and [regular screenwriting collaborator Jonathan] Raymond tell their story with force and skill and the movie is shot with beautiful simplicity. There’s a muscular authority in its plainness and its calm, unshowy evocation of the American landscape… It is a tremendously engaging story that does something very few movies do: mention specific sums of money, so we realise exactly what risks are being taken. Something very palpable is at stake, the jeopardy is real and it’s a question of survival.’—Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian