Since the widely reported critical wrangling between A. O. Scott and Richard Brody on the merits of using the term “Neo-Neo Realism” to describe a batch of American independent productions released in 2008 and 2009, the term has been largely conspicuous by its absence. Of the various directors deemed by Scott to be bringing American cinema its “neorealist moment,” three have yet to re-emerge (So Yong Kim, Ramin Bahrani, Lance Hammer), two have moved toward the mainstream (Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck), and only one, namely Kelly Reichardt, has continued to receive significant attention. Tellingly, however, the considerable quantity of critical discussion on Reichardt’s 2011 film, Meek’s Cutoff, has failed to invoke this contentious term, giving credence to the idea that Scott’s “neorealist moment” was of a fleeting nature. Yet, while the intrinsic value of categorizing films based on a movement famed for its own lack of a clear definition is debatable at best, neorealist theory can still be utilized as a means of exploring the recent trend of American realism touched on by Scott. If anything, the sheer wealth of academic writing on neorealism comprises a rich seam of theoretical approaches that can easily be applied to contemporary contexts.
Unlike Wendy and Lucy (2008)—which has been brought into connection with De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves (Ladri di biciclette, 1948) and Umberto D. (1952) regarding the structuring principle of a search, and the solace offered by a canine companion, respectively—Meek’s Cutoff does not, at least at first glance, invite such obvious neorealist comparisons. Although this can perhaps be put down to the nineteenth-century setting and the more immediate foregrounding of the Western genre, a more detailed analysis reveals a range of neorealist underpinnings. The subtle reconfigurations Reichardt performs on these neorealist elements lead to a shift in their ultimate effect and help to illustrate that the relationship between contemporary realist stirrings and neorealism is more complex than a direct revival.