Blog 8
Our final Blog of this short 8-week semester. For the final one, we are studying First Cow (2019) and Lonely Are the Brave (1962) together reveals how two films, far distant in time, setting, and style, can enter into a great conversation with each other and other films we've studied this semester. The last detail gives us a great use of what this final blog post will be about, "One advantage of intertextuality is that it allows for a number of different viewing lenses, all of which can be applied to looking at film from a variety of perspectives" (Last Detail). By considering elements like genre, gender representation, star image, authorship, theme, visual style, and historical context, we start to see how these films overlap and, by extension, how they reflect broader trends in cinema. Both films belong to the Western genre but challenge and reimagine it in ways that connect them to other films we've studied, from Nightcrawler from the beginning of the class to The Man from Laramie.
Genre and the Western
First Cow, directed by Kelly Reichardt, is a quiet, almost minimalist Western, centered around two men in the Pacific Northwest in the early 19th century. It's less about the action and heroism typical of the genre and more about survival, friendship, and the marginalization of outsiders in a growing capitalist society. In contrast, Lonely Are the Brave, directed by David Miller and starring Kirk Douglas, presents a more conventional Western figure: a rugged cowboy (Douglas's Jack Burns) navigating the conflicts of a modernizing world. Burns is a relic of the Old West, unwilling to conform to society's expectations.
Both films subvert the typical expectations of Westerns in different ways. In First Cow, the focus on the friendship between Cookie (John Magaro) and King-Lu (Orion Lee) over typical action-packed plotlines represents a more intimate take on the Western. Instead of focusing on lawmen, gunslingers, or sprawling gunfights, the film lines in on the quieter moments of shared dreams and struggles. This is a different feel than someone of the others we have seen in the past, but this aligns it with At Eternity's Gate. A film we studied that strips away the glamor of the "artist's life" and instead presents Vincent van Gogh's intimate struggle with his own mind. Both films prioritize human emotion and internal conflict over external action. A slight reach in a way to compare the two, but it builds the point.
On the other hand, Lonely Are the Brave brings the themes of the traditional Western into the modern era. Like Winchester '73 or Gunfight at the OK Corral, it deals with a lone hero against the system. But instead of a shootout at high noon, Jack Burns fights to maintain his individualism in a world increasingly dominated by police helicopters, and modern highways. This tension between the old world and the new places the film in conversation with To Live and Die in L.A., where characters face the collapse of idealism in the face of cold, institutional power. In both cases, the "hero" is fighting against an unstoppable tide of societal change.
Gender and Masculinity
Gender representation in both First Cow and Lonely Are the Brave also serves as a point of comparison. The Western genre traditionally revolves around hypermasculine heroes that are strong, silent, and often violent men. While Lonely Are the Brave retains some of this archetype through Jack Burns, it also complicates it. Burns may be a cowboy in spirit, but he's also portrayed as vulnerable and tragic, caught between his desire for freedom and the inevitability of modernity. He cannot win, not because of any personal failing, but because the world has moved past him.
The last detail gave a quote about the idea of masculinity in film. "Though a number of films can be read through their examination of masculinity, action films offer a particularly interesting example because they bring implicit questions about maleness to the forefront. Above all, however, taking a gender perspective can further demonstrate the value of seeing works through an intertextual lens"(Last Detail).
This shift in the portrayal of masculinity echoes films like Nightcrawler, where Jake Gyllenhaal's Lou Bloom is a twisted version of the self-made man, using opportunism and manipulation to climb the ranks in a cutthroat world. In both cases, the male protagonists are isolated by their unwillingness to conform to societal expectations. The way both men carry their business is the comparison.
First Cow presents a gentler take on masculinity. Cookie and King-Lu's friendship is rooted in care and mutual support. There are no gunslingers or bar fights here. Instead, the two men dream of a future where they can build something small together. This nurturing side of masculinity stands in stark contrast to the hypermasculine figures of traditional Westerns like The Man from Laramie or Gunfight at the OK Corral. The fact that the two men in a domestic pursuit underscores this rejection of traditional Western ideals. In First Cow, success is tied to cooperation and creativity, not violence or individual conquest.
Star Image and Authorship
Looking at the star image of Lonely Are the Brave's Kirk Douglas further highlights the film's nuanced take on the Western. Douglas was already known for his roles in epic dramas and action-packed films, so his portrayal of Jack Burns plays off his established persona as a larger-than-life hero.
The Last Detail gives a good showing on the star that Kirk Douglas was. "Star Kirk Douglas had been one of the people to help return Trumbo to work in Hollywood under his own name, committing to not only hiring the writer to pen the script for Spartacus (1960, Kubrick), which Douglas starred in and produced, but insisting on giving him screen credit" (Last Detail.)
But in Lonely Are the Brave, Douglas's charisma is channeled into a character who somewhat the opposite. This reflects a broader trend in Westerns from the 1950s and 60s, where established stars like James Stewart in Winchester '73 took on more morally complex and flawed roles. These actors brought with them the weight of their previous roles, adding depth to the films' explorations of heroism and masculinity.
In contrast, First Cow doesn't feature big-name stars, which is part of Kelly Reichardt's approach. Reichardt's films often focus on outsiders and everyday people and First Cow is no different. By casting lesser-known actors like John Magaro and Orion Lee, Reichardt allows the characters and their story to take center stage rather than relying on star power. This aligns with the directorial styles of films like At Eternity's Gate, where Willem Dafoe's portrayal of van Gogh was more about inhabiting the character's internal struggle than about performing for the audience. Both Reichardt and Julian Schnabel (At Eternity's Gate) create deeply personal films where the director's voice is as present as the characters on screen. Using specific actors to create the best roll regardless of star power.
Visual Style and Historical Context
Visually, First Cow and Lonely Are the Brave offer contrasting yet complementary takes on the Western landscape. Reichardt's film is marked by its naturalistic cinematography. This is a big difference from the traditional Westerns like Winchester '73 or The Man from Laramie, where the vast open spaces symbolize freedom and opportunity. Instead, the cramped, forested setting of First Cow mirrors the characters' limited options and precarious existence.
In contrast, Lonely Are the Brave retains some of the classic Western imagery, with its expansive deserts and mountains. Yet, these landscapes feel more like obstacles than opportunities. The use of the natural landscape to underscore themes of entrapment and obsolescence ties the film to the existential anxieties of Nightcrawler, where Los Angeles is depicted not as a land of opportunity but as a sprawling, indifferent machine. Both films use their environments to reflect the inner struggles of their protagonists. The big city to the western landscape.
Themes of Survival, Freedom, and Capitalism
Both First Cow and Lonely Are the Brave are about survival in hostile environments, whether that environment is the early 19th-century frontier or the 20th-century West. In First Cow, Cookie and King-Lu's attempts to carve out a small piece of success are constantly under threat from more powerful forces, whether it's the wealthy landowner Chief Factor or the unforgiving landscape. This focus on survival through small acts of rebellion is comparable to films like Nightcrawler and To Live and Die in L.A., where characters operate on the fringes of legality in their pursuit of success.
Meanwhile, Jack Burns's quest for freedom in Lonely Are the Brave is less about economic survival and more about maintaining personal life choices, in a world that no longer values his way of life. Both films suggest that in a society driven by progress and profit, there's little room for those who don't fit neatly into the system.
Conclusion: In Conversation With Each Other and Beyond
In examining First Cow and Lonely Are the Brave together, we see two films that, while different in tone and style, share a deep concern with themes of survival, friendship, and resistance to societal pressures. They both challenge traditional Western tropes—whether it's through the gentle friendship at the heart of First Cow or the tragic heroism of Lonely Are the Brave. But these films have Intertextuality with our other films throughout our class. From the Nightcrawler to the exploration of, To Live and Die in L.A. and the take on masculinity in Winchester '73. Through their intertextuality, we can see how these films contribute to an ongoing dialogue about what it means to be an outsider in a world that's constantly changing. All of these films through the semester have paved the way to this final blog post. Enjoyable class to take, Thanks!