First Cow. 2019. USA. Directed by Kelly Reichardt. Screenplay by Reichardt, Jonathan Raymond, based on Raymond's book. With John Magaro, Orion Lee, Toby Jones, Ewen Bremner, Scott Shepherd, Gary Farmer, Lily Gladstone. DCP. 121 min.
In early-19th-century Oregon Territory, Cookie (John Magaro), a sensitive outsider in debt to brutish fur traders, and King Lu (Orion Lee), an affable, philosophizing Chinese immigrant, form a tender brotherhood amid rough surroundings. The two dream of a better future—and find a way to finance one with the arrival of the territory’s first cow, whose milk they surreptitiously turn into sweet treats to sell. Though cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt cocoons the viewer in verdant nature, moonlight, and the warmth of human connection, the very real terrors of capitalism and colonialism are never too far out of frame. In her seventh feature, Kelly Reichardt masterfully weaves these complex themes together, creating an intimate glimpse of the grand tragedy and beauty of the American experiment.