Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

West Bank Town Becomes ‘Big Prison’ as Israel Fences It In

9 hours ago

Trump Says He’s Willing to Let Migrant Farm Laborers Stay in US

10 hours ago

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

1 day ago

Eyeing Arctic Dominance, Trump Bill Earmarks $8.6 Billion for US Coast Guard Icebreakers

1 day ago

Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Wins Congressional Approval

1 day ago

Americans Celebrate Their Independence With Record-Breaking Travel Numbers

1 day ago

US Supreme Court to Decide Legality of Transgender School Sports Bans

1 day ago

Nvidia Set to Become the World’s Most Valuable Company in History

1 day ago

Poll: 41% in US ‘Extremely Proud’ to Be American, Near Historic Low

1 day ago
Review: 'First Cow,' a Western Fable of Unpasteurized Poetry
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
March 6, 2020

Share

The American West is about as well-trod territory as there is in movies, but Kelly Reichardt keeps unearthing new treasures.
Her latest excavation, “First Cow,” is her most sublime yet. Like many of Reichardt’s previous films, it’s set in Oregon but in a seemingly unremarkable in-between moment in history. It’s a tale literally dug up. In its opening scenes, a contemporary woman and her dog are walking near a broad river where an oil tanker slowly glides past. The dog sniffs something first, then the woman sets to clawing the dirt away.

Photo of a scene from "First Cow."
This image released by A24 Films shows John Magaro in a scene from “First Cow.” (Allyson Riggs/A24 Films via AP)
Her find can only be mysterious to her; it reveals nothing for posterity or science. Just some eternal truths, and one achingly lovely yarn that reaches, through time and cinema, to today. “First Cow” leaps back to the Oregon Territory of the 1820s, where a pair of aimless and impoverished travelers are brought together by circumstance, kindness and baked goods.
Otis, known as “Cookie” (John Magaro), is a cook for a band of trappers who gruffly order him around. Shortly before coming to a sparsely populated trading post, he encounters King-Lu (Orion Lee), a Chinese immigrant who, having been sought for murder, Cookie finds cowering naked behind a fern.
They have an immediate rapport, and recognize in each other fellow low rungs on the already forming ladder of society. When they later encounter each other at the trading post, a tender, unspoken friendship develops between them. King-Lu invites Cookie, a shy and guileless grown orphan soulfully played by Magaro, to drink a bottle at their shack. Once there, Cookie sweetly begins to sweep the place and add a few flowers. It’s as beautiful a beginning to a friendship as you’re likely to see this side of “Casablanca.”
Friendship is indeed what “First Cow,” a simple and radiant Old West fable, is about. The movie opens with a quote from William Blake about its indispensable and homely place in life: “The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship.” But as a portrait of human connection, “First Cow” is situated within the rugged terrain of capitalism, even the rough and ill-formed variety found 200 years ago in the Pacific Northwest.
King-Lu, the sharper schemer of the two, senses an opportunity. “History isn’t here yet,” he says. “It’s coming but maybe this time we can take it on our own terms.” The tragedy of “First Cow” is that it has, in fact, already arrived, and any momentary window of opportunity and freedom is fast closing for Cookie and King-Lu.
Photo of a scene from "First Cow."
This image released by A24 Films shows John Magaro in a scene from “First Cow.” (Allyson Riggs/A24 Films via AP)

The Joys of ‘First Cow’ Are Many

Ordered by the area’s local official (Toby Jones), the territory’s first bovine (Evie, in the credits) arrives on a raft while onlookers gawk. The force of history has been heralded by many sounds before — a railroad whistle, for instance. But I can’t recall it ever before arriving with a “moo.” One man jokes that the cow is no more suitable to the Oregon frontier than the white man.

The joys of “First Cow” are many. The thoughtful, unshowy textures of its clothes and surroundings. The fabulous chemistry of its two leads. The softly stirring guitar of William Tyler’s score. All of these details add up to a wholly original western, one with its own rhythms, ideas and iconography.
King-Lu, impressed by Cookie’s baking, hatches a plan of udder brilliance. The two stealthily sneak milk from the cow at night, and the next morning with the otherwise impossible-to-find ingredient, Cookie whips up a rare delicacy. Their “oily cakes” sell like hot cakes, bringing daily lines of mean and mangy trappers eager for a taste. Their success stokes their dreams; King-Lu and Cookie start fantasizing about opening a hotel and bakery in San Francisco. But it also brings peril, especially once they earn the admiration of Jones’ gentleman.
The joys of “First Cow” are many. The thoughtful, unshowy textures of its clothes and surroundings. The fabulous chemistry of its two leads. The softly stirring guitar of William Tyler’s score. All of these details add up to a wholly original western, one with its own rhythms, ideas and iconography. Like previous Reichardt films, its screen is a near-square box, which here doesn’t hem in the normally widescreen landscapes of the West but reorients its focus.
“First Cow” is based on the novel “The Half-Life,” by Jon Raymond, a frequent collaborator of Reichardt’s who wrote the script with her. Though not a household name, Reichardt has long been one of the more celebrated American filmmakers for films (“Old Joy,” “Certain Women,” “Meeks’ Cutoff”) that with a spare, untamed beauty have remapped the Pacific Northwest.
Her best-known film might be “Wendy and Lucy,” with Michelle Williams, about a broke drifter and her dog. They could easily be the same woman and canine who kick off “First Cow.” In that way, they’re a kind of modern-day echo of Cookie and King-Lu. The same struggles persist, but, thank heavens, so does companionship.
“First Cow,” an A24 release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for brief strong language. Running time: 121 minutes. Four stars out of four.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Trump to Sign Tax-Cut and Spending Bill in July 4 Ceremony

DON'T MISS

Madre Fire Spurs Evacuations Across 3 Counties, Grows to More Than 70,000 Acres

DON'T MISS

Clovis, Sanger, Madera, and Bass Lake Will Light the Sky With Fireworks Shows Tonight

DON'T MISS

Oil Dips Ahead of Expected OPEC+ Output Increase

DON'T MISS

613 Killed at Gaza Aid Distribution Sites, Near Humanitarian Covoys, Says UN

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Authorities Investigating Suspicious Death of Transient Man

DON'T MISS

West Bank Town Becomes ‘Big Prison’ as Israel Fences It In

DON'T MISS

Israeli Military Kills 20 in Gaza as Trump Awaits Hamas Reply to Truce Proposal

DON'T MISS

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Rachelle Maria Blanco

DON'T MISS

Russia Pounds Kyiv With Largest Drone Attack, Hours After Trump-Putin Call

UP NEXT

‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Kill Bill’ Actor Michael Madsen Dies at 67

UP NEXT

Could Cuddly Colby Be the Darling Gem for You?

UP NEXT

Keep Pets Safe on 4th of July: Fresno County Animal Shelter Offers Tips

UP NEXT

There Are Fresno Area Fireworks Shows Galore Through Sunday

UP NEXT

What’s Next for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs After His Sex Trafficking Trial?

UP NEXT

The Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Story: From Recording Studio to Criminal Trial

UP NEXT

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Convicted on Prostitution Counts, but Cleared of More Serious Charges

UP NEXT

Jury Reaches Verdict on Some Counts at Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Sex Trafficking Trial

UP NEXT

The Chainsmokers to Headline Dog Daze Festival at Chukchansi Park

UP NEXT

Shaver Lake and Reedley 4th of July Shows Are Wednesday. Who Else Is Celebrating?

Oil Dips Ahead of Expected OPEC+ Output Increase

9 hours ago

613 Killed at Gaza Aid Distribution Sites, Near Humanitarian Covoys, Says UN

9 hours ago

Fresno County Authorities Investigating Suspicious Death of Transient Man

9 hours ago

West Bank Town Becomes ‘Big Prison’ as Israel Fences It In

9 hours ago

Israeli Military Kills 20 in Gaza as Trump Awaits Hamas Reply to Truce Proposal

9 hours ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Rachelle Maria Blanco

9 hours ago

Russia Pounds Kyiv With Largest Drone Attack, Hours After Trump-Putin Call

10 hours ago

Boxer Chavez Jr Expected to Be Deported to Mexico to Serve Sentence, Mexican President Says

10 hours ago

Markets’ 90-Day Tariff Pause Rollercoaster Nears an Uncertain End

10 hours ago

Trump Says He’s Willing to Let Migrant Farm Laborers Stay in US

10 hours ago

Trump to Sign Tax-Cut and Spending Bill in July 4 Ceremony

President Donald Trump is scheduled to sign a massive package of tax and spending cuts into law at a ceremony at the White House on Friday, ...

8 hours ago

President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 12, 2025. (Reuters File)
8 hours ago

Trump to Sign Tax-Cut and Spending Bill in July 4 Ceremony

The Madre Fire burning near New Cuyama has scorched 70,801 acres as of Friday, July 4, 2025, afternoon, making it California’s largest wildfire of the year, with only 10% containment and multiple evacuation zones in place. (CalFire)
8 hours ago

Madre Fire Spurs Evacuations Across 3 Counties, Grows to More Than 70,000 Acres

8 hours ago

Clovis, Sanger, Madera, and Bass Lake Will Light the Sky With Fireworks Shows Tonight

A pumpjack operates at the Vermilion Energy site in Trigueres, France, June 14, 2024. (Reuters File)
9 hours ago

Oil Dips Ahead of Expected OPEC+ Output Increase

Palestinians gather to collect what remains of relief supplies from the distribution center of the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, June 5, 2025. (Reuters File)
9 hours ago

613 Killed at Gaza Aid Distribution Sites, Near Humanitarian Covoys, Says UN

Billy Wayne Sinisgalli, a 54-year-old transient known locally as Wayne, was found dead along a rural Fresno road Wednesday in what authorities are investigating as a suspicious death. (Fresno County SO)
9 hours ago

Fresno County Authorities Investigating Suspicious Death of Transient Man

Israel Builds a Fence Around the West Bank
9 hours ago

West Bank Town Becomes ‘Big Prison’ as Israel Fences It In

A view of the site of Thursday's Israeli strike that damaged and destroyed residential buildings, at Shati (Beach) refugee camp, in Gaza City, July 4, 2025. (Reuters/Mahmoud Issa)
9 hours ago

Israeli Military Kills 20 in Gaza as Trump Awaits Hamas Reply to Truce Proposal

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend