Being subtle is a hard skill to master. Thankfully, we can take notes on how to utilize the background and use jump cuts to tell our stories. First Cow is a quiet triumph of a film that follows the personal journey of its two protagonists, men on the run from vengeful hunters. They dream of becoming rich by secretly using a landowner’s prized dairy cow. Many people who have watched the film have noted that the editing feels soft, intimate, and gentle, which is achieved through the film’s director and editor Kelly Reichardt’s ability to tell the story through suggestion. Reichardt explores themes of friendship, environmentalism, colonialism, and classism. These heavy themes could have been handled with a clumsy hand, but Reichart’s use of the background, jump cuts, and sound design influence how the viewer perceives and interacts with the film. Thomas Flight breaks down the editing style of First Cow and how it creates gentleness through well-thought-out visual and sound elements and unique storytelling. Check out his full video here: Read More...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Friday, 9 July, 2021