Copenhagen Cowboy

Copenhagen Cowboy may be one of the most plodding shows ever put on Netflix, but as per usual for Nicolas Winding Refn (presenting his first Danish-speaking project since the Pusher films), there are both mystical and purely visual aspects to keep you transfixed.

As I noted in my review of Too Old to Die Young, this is not a director who simply points the lights and cameras at the actors and hits "record". This is a director who knows how to make a significant prop glow a hellish red in an otherwise purple frame; one who plans his outdoor shots so that the twilight has just the right shade and intensity; one who knows how to frame his actors so that the kaleidoscopic city behind them seems both dead and alive at the same time... Even among other directors who fancy neon-drenched '80s nostalgia and Neo-noir ambiance, Refn sticks out as an especially deliberate filmmaker.

What makes Copenhagen Cowboy particularly interesting is that it plays like an atonement for the directors' past machismo narratives (unintentionally or not, his various Gosling characters have become "Sigma Male" icons) and lack of female representation. Doubly fascinating is the lead herself, Angela Bundalovic as the mysterious and possibly undead Miu, who Jasper Rees (writing for The Telegraph) described as "an unsexualized androgyne exuding an enigmatic potency", and that, at every other turn, the camera seems to be trying to gaze into her soul -- to figure out just who or what she is.

His reading is that she may be a vampire, a sprite, or some sort of angel that (as she moves through the criminal underworld of Denmark, starting in a sex-slave den and ending up amongst corrupt lawyers and chauvinist millionaires) has been sent to avenge the female sex. He describes her enemies: "a Serbian pimp, a Chinese crime boss, a Danish lord of the manor who preaches the primal power of the cock to his murderous son."

I agree that Copenhagen Cowboy has a lot to chew on in terms of themes, even if the show as such can be a slog to watch. The boredom is, of course, alleviated by the visuals and music (and sometimes the humor, particularly when Refn himself appears and when Zlatko Buric converses with a celebrity guest I won't unveil here), but I understand if some viewers won't think it's worth it.

As for my more local -- Scandinavian -- papers, it seems Refn's return to the Nordic region isn't cause for too much celebration; verdicts have ranged from "sluggish as syrup" to complaints that it's nightmarish, nasty, brutal, and whatever else. One blogger wrote, "I don't think I've ever seen so many horrible people of so many different genders and cultural backgrounds doing horrible things". Of course, to me, that's rather like complaining that there are cars in the Fast and the Furious films.

There is one thing about Copenhagen Cowboy that unnerves me more than anything else, however, and it has to do with the pigs that keep appearing throughout the show. It's not that I have trouble figuring out the meaning of said hogs; what it is they either symbolize or poke fun at. Instead, my issue is this:

A few years ago, I decided to use the GTA V "Director Mode" to create a short film in the style of Nicolas Winding Refn (complete with synth-heavy music from Drive, Only God Forgives, The Neon Demon, and his The Wicked Die Young album). It was named Butcher vs. Pig-Man and told the story of a pig who escaped from its farm and -- since "animals are people too" -- grew up into a vengeful pig-man, played by one of the player characters in a pig mask and speaking entirely in pig noises.

And now, here's Nicolas Winding Refn, making a show that heavily features pigs and, yes, a pervy guy who speaks in pig squeals. I'm not saying Refn has seen my video (hardly anyone has), but this is a weirdly specific coincidence. I might've considered asking for royalties if the video wasn't full of unoriginal sh-t anyway.

I love the films and television of Nicholas Winding Refn and within one episode I was fully back in his neon soaked, grimy, atmospheric world of static tableaux, the worst humans imaginable, extended circular pans and long signature pauses between speech or action.

I sometimes wonder if his effectively borderline mute protagonists are a direct criticism of people who use words too freely with no consideration.

As the mass Netflix crowd slowly find this I'm certainly expecting a slew of downvoting to occur and all the usual complaints about camerawork, lack of story, slowness and how quickly people fell asleep.

I hate these tragic people and equate them with the targets of Refn's scorn. The low, emotionally impotent, the unthinking and in this case thematically, the ultimate bottom-feeders, the pigs.

Basically if you like his previous work you will most likely love this too. It's been so long since the awesome Too Old to Die Young and you can see that he has certainly put those 4 years to good use.

A fascinating production that requires some perseverance by the viewer. Be prepared for a very meticulously filmed story that takes some time to more or less fully understand. The pace is slow in every aspect: in dialogue, in plot development and in cinematography. Acting is very minimalistic and retained and melts beautifully with the way scenes are filmed. The story has as much importance as the visual experience.

This series is definitely not for the impatient ones who expect an easy to swallow, quickly paced story. However, if you're ready to have some patience, are able to accept that not everything will ever become fully clear and are open to this kind of cinema, this may just be right for you. A gem in Netflix productions.

It's weird and slow. Idk why someone would call this revolutionary, I'm assuming because of the weird shots and lighting but this has been done. I will say this could have been edited just a tiny bit tighter. I'm very patient when it comes to films I watch but even this had me tempted to fast forward at times. I'm all for atmosphere and playing of the tension and all the goods that come with that but there's an art to it and you missed the mark on several occasions on here to where it seems too drawn out (subjective). Okay now I got all the bad stuff out of the way let me tell you why it's worth your time. It's a beautifully shot piece of art. Lighting is great and always motivated by the scene. The acting is really well done and the story kept me guessing. Okay now for the real reason I'm here. I believe and could easily be wrong but I'd imagine he didn't just pick the title because it was cool. I think it's more a nod to the fact that this series is essentially a Modern take on a Western. Miu is essentially our out of town hero coming into town to save it from the evil. Now probably should finish the last two episodes before I get too far ahead of myself. But enjoyed the first 4. I'll recommend. And to.

The first two episodes require patience, however once you are into the story Copenhagen cowboy is something new and engaging.

The colours and scenery are beautiful in a harsh environment. It's slow - sometimes very slow - but once you enter the meditative state it makes perfect sense.

It's also a huge contrast between the main role - an alien like altruistic girl vs killers, gangsters and hedonists.

Copenhagen cowboy do have som references to films like Hannibal (brutality and pigs eating people dead or alive), Drive (colours, music and scenery) and David Lynch in general, including the ufo theme from the last tween peaks series. That said, this series adds something new to the table and is a positive surprise. Netflix really tries to be creative and innovative. Kudos.