Tender Masculinity in ‘First Cow’
Imagine: it’s the 1820s Northwest and a humble man named Otis “Cookie” Figowitz is walking through the forest gathering mushrooms. He sees a fellow humble lizard flipped over on their back beside one of the mushrooms, Cookie carefully assists the lizard in getting back on their feet to walk again.
This is one of the first scenes to open Kelly Reichardt’s ‘First Cow’, a film that also begins with an epigraph from William Blake that reads: “The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship.” Reichardt tells us that this is a story about friendship before we even see any of the characters, but it is still much more than this. ‘First Cow’ tackles working class solidarity while painting a delicate portrait of tender masculinity. Reichardt’s directing makes this apparent with the film’s subtleties, such as in this opening moment. We follow our protagonists, Cookie and King-Lu through the growth of their friendship, finding empathy and connection with them as the audience up until their death.
The score to the opening scene is somewhat of a lullaby: it sounds like chimes and bells that would be coming from a music box. Already the scene is set for a relaxing and wholesome afternoon of gathering. When Cookie brings his findings back to his group of fur trappers, he is reprimanded for not bringing back enough food. This framing device allows us to recognize Cookie as a figure of compassion. His careful and gentle method of foraging is juxtaposed by the harshness of those in power above him, which is a theme that will come into play during the main conflict of the film. There is a sense of hyper-masculinity at play that keeps those above Cookie and King-Lu at the top; however, their soft masculinity is a counter to this and allows them to infiltrate this caste system.
The nature of the film is slow and tactile: once Cookie and King-Lu meet, we see them accomplishing all of the tasks needed for survival. Because of the nature of being from a low class without families of their own, the men must serve as their own caretakers, providing for all the household labor themselves. The wealthy have lower class servants who provide this work for them, so they have no sense of understanding or empathy for the work it takes to survive. Reichardt’s directing here gives us the sense of how these men wish to live before they must involve themselves in the system of capital. We find them fishing, swimming, grinding up cooking ingredients, and paddling their boat along the lake. This life is hard work, but it is simple, and it is for themselves only.
What makes Reichardt’s directing so effective is its consistency in style and tone. Every action is played out in full, with every step accounted for. Their household work is done with attention and precision and this is also highlighted when they begin making cakes for the market. Though the batter is pre-made, we watch them fry each cake, drizzle it with honey, and top it with ground cinnamon. Reichardt goes the extra mile in relaying to the audience that no work is unskilled: their labor is valuable and the only thing keeping them from rising up in class is the access to the proper ingredients. It is clear that people in the town are in demand for their baking, it is only when the wealthy need to outsource their own resources that it becomes a problem.
When Cookie milks the cow of the wealthy Chief Factor, he is calm, comforting her and giving her care. He goes about the process with such ease and it is clear that Reichardt chose to, once again, show contrast between these lower class men and their wealthy counterparts. He shows this same respect and care for King-Lu when he falls from a tree, hurting his leg. The men are ultimately caught and assist each other in escaping capture, never leaving the other behind. Their friendship and love for one another does not falter and remains a source of survival throughout their journey.
These traits that Cookie and King-Lu possess are ones that are often ascribed to the women of the household, though in this situation, they both must serve as the matriarch. Since their household labor is reframed as a means of survival rather than that of “women’s work,” the film redefines essential work as something done by anyone in the lower class, regardless of gender. Reichardt presents labor as a universally recognized necessity outside the confines of gender, leaving us to consider gender dynamics outside of a capitalist nature. There is no femininity or masculinity, but rather this sets a precedence of two different sects of masculinity present: tender masculinity and violent masculinity.
Showing us the tactical and careful nature of Cookie and King-Lu gives us a greater picture of what this type of tender masculinity is composed of and what qualities it contains. On the other hand, the Chief presents a violent masculinity. The stakes are consistently higher for Cookie and King-Lu, as they are working to survive, so their wholesome nature is a true testament to who they are as individuals and what they value. The Chief, as well as the other members of the trappers group, maintain positions of power that exploit labor from those below them, which is an act of violence in itself. They are harsh in reaction to a lack or capital or product, regardless of how the pair treat them in their exchanges of labor. The Chief and the trappers desire the outcome of Cookie’s work, but are unwilling to provide the working conditions or ingredients needed for the job. And when their desires are not met, they result to violence against Cookie and King-Lu, which demonstrates their nature and values as individuals.
The gendered performances in ‘First Cow’ can be separated by their relationship to labor and violence, once again defining the function of gender in proximity to power. Patriarchy exists within the confines of upholding societal status, yet Cookie and King-Lu provide a refreshing look at a different form of masculinity that seeks to provide emotional support and class solidarity out of the care for one another. There is an alternative to violent oppression, if only life were approached with empathy. – Taylor Hunsberger
‘First Cow’ is now available to rent and purchase on VOD.