Who knew you could just point a camera at a cow and be transfixed for an hour and a half? I don't mean to be glib or undercut the work of director Andrea Arnold, who skillfully meshes together the cinéma vérité style narrative about a real cow and her life from the moment of birth of one of her calfs until her human inflicted death. Cow ends up being stunning, capturing the beauty and melancholy of the life of a cow.
Shot beautifully on a dairy farm in the UK, Cow is literally just what you think it is. Arnold captures something unexpected in the day to day reality of an animal most of us don't think of as particularly cinematic or regal. But by the end of the film, you as the audience are invested in her struggle. Despite how much the film pulls you into its story it doesn't preach or take sides on any issue. This isn't a "vegan" film. It stands back and just shows it to you. There is no score (although some songs are played throughout, mostly those heard in the actual barn), no commentary. The only human language is some off hand comments by the farm hands. Yet let me tell you the cow's groans, especially upon being separated from her calf, will stick with you.
Cow is the sort of film that surprises. Arnold's approach to just let her subject take centre stage is a smart one and very effective. If you ever thought you wouldn't want to watch a cow walk around for 94 minutes, think again.
Cow
Director: Andrea Arnold
No comments:
Post a Comment