Few filmmakers can explore the delicate nooks and crannies of American life in the meticulous way that defines director Kelly Reichardt. Throughout her career, Reichardt has told patently American stories from a perspective that truly gets to the heart of what it means to exist in this country. She has explored stories from all corners and time periods of America, but the through line amongst her projects is readily apparent. In her newest film First Cow, Reichardt returns to the Oregon territory in early 19th century America to offer up a timeless, captivating tale of unlikely friendship in the untamed American landscape. There is a great amount of division in America at this point in history, and a beautifully told story such as this one is exactly the dose of pure goodness the world needs right now. First Cow will be catnip to the high-minded cinema lovers predisposed to welcome this type of feature, but even those with less adventurous tastes might find something that will do your heart good.
For more in-depth thoughts on First Cow, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
First Cow comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation that is truly stunning. This is a visually rich film with beautiful shots of nature throughout where you can see an incredible amount of detail. The trees in the forest provide a nice reference to showcase the depth at play in the image. The vivid colors really pop with all the earth tones on display from the greens of the foliage to the stark browns found on the forest floor. This is a film with a warm color palette that is reproduced perfectly here with a pleasing radiance. The white levels are handled beautifully, along with the intensely deep blacks that do not appear to suffer from any compression artifacts. There are no obvious signs of any noise or other such digital nuisances. The skin tones look very detailed and natural all around. This presentation is definitely a standout on the Blu-Ray format.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that conjures a very specific mood that transports you back to this era in history. This is a very calm film, which means this track is never really given a major workout. The spirited score from William Tyler is showcased beautifully here with a gently enveloping use of the surround speakers. The dialogue comes through crystal clear without ever being overpowered by the environmental effects or the score. The sound design is just as precisely thought-out as the on screen visuals with all of the sounds positioned just right in the mix. The environmental effects create a really nice soundscape of wildlife and subtle weather sounds. This is not an action-heavy film, so the activity in the low end is nearly nonexistent throughout the presentation. This is a lovely sounding release that brings the movie to life in a really splendid way.
Special Features
- A Place In This World: A very informative 27-minute behind-the-scenes featurette in which the cast and crew discuss adapting the novel to the screen, casting the characters, bringing the world to life, the importance of food in the film, shooting digitally, working with Evie the cow and more. This is filled with interesting and heartwarming moments, including seeing Evie with her new calf that they named Cookie.
Final Thoughts
Kelly Reichardt is definitely a director that caters to those with a love for independent cinema. First Cow is pure Reichardt in the best sense, as this gentle character-based drama unfolds in a very measured way without the need to manufacture more drama than necessary to tell the story. If you have the patience for a contemplative drama, First Cow will reward you with one of the most unexpectedly fulfilling cinematic experiences of the year. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has provided a Blu-Ray with a delightful A/V presentation and a fun behind-the-scenes look at the film. This is the type of film the world really needs right now. Highly Recommended
First Cow is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray + DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
