COWS, the feature directing debut of Julio Medem, is a Spanish-language drama about the bitter rivalry between two families from the bucolic Basque region of northern Spain, through three generations, between the end of the last century and the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.
Brutal and dreamlike, COWS combines elements of rural horror and magic realism as it weaves its tale. Written by Medem, who once worked as a film critic, the story takes place in a small, remote valley where the warring families live in side-by-side hostility. So isolated is their existence and
so tantalizing the proximity of their houses that violence is practically inevitable. Over the years, a bizarre ritual has even developed: a test of strength and courage in which a man balances on a log as he chops it, where one mis-timed swing of the axe can sever some toes. Perhaps not
surprisingly, forbidden love liaisons spring up too, and a political conflict develops during the Civil War, providing the climax to the film.
COWS takes its name from the pastoral animals who placidly observe the actions of their human masters. Throughout the movie, Medem returns to shots of these non-judging witnesses and, although this device might seem conventional, it works surprisingly well in punctuating the all too human
exploits of this strange valley. COWS is a remarkably confident first feature, marking Medem as a director to watch. leave a comment