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First Cow

Name: First Cow
Director: Kelly Reichardt
Released: 2020
Duration: 122 min

Representation Score

4.3/10

Fair

2020

PG-13

Director

Kelly Reichardt

Runtime

122 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

First Cow stands out by breaking down traditional Western genre conventions. Rather than focusing on rugged individualism or conquest, the film highlights the quieter aspects of everyday life and human connections. One of the film's strongest points is its nuanced portrayal of racial diversity. By highlighting the professional skills and ability to act of Black and Chinese characters, it avoids the homogeneity often found in such narratives. However, the film lacks explicit LGBTQ+ representation and does not include characters with disabilities. While it challenges many clichés, it remains centered on specific social and economic contexts.

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Category Breakdown

Does First Cow have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include explicit LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight relationships. It focuses on a close friendship between two men without showing any non-binary gender identities.

How does First Cow portray gender?

Fair

The story shifts away from hyper-masculine themes toward more domestic and social settings. Women in the film face significant social and economic limitations within the frontier environment.

How racially and ethnically diverse is First Cow?

Excellent

The film features a key partnership between a Black man and a white man, along with a Chinese immigrant character who is shown to have professional skills and ability to act.

How does First Cow represent religion and culture?

Good

The movie critiques early capitalist systems and the impact of economic hardship. It portrays Western expansion as a struggle for survival rather than a heroic journey.

Does First Cow include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no characters with visible or invisible disabilities featured in the main storyline.

Present on Screen

Sophisticated portrayal of racial diversity that grants ability to act and respect to Black and Chinese characters.
Effective deconstruction of Western clichés by emphasizing domestic and social spaces over hyper-masculinity.
A nuanced critique of early capitalism and the systemic pressures of the frontier.

Limited or Absent

Lack of explicit LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight relationships.
Absence of characters representing visible or invisible disabilities.

Official Synopsis

In the 1820s, a taciturn loner and skilled cook travels west to Oregon Territory, where he meets a Chinese immigrant also seeking his fortune. Soon the two team up on a dangerous scheme to steal milk from the wealthy landowner’s prized Jersey cow—the first, and only, in the territory.

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