Paris, Texas (1984)

 Paris, Texas (1984)

I truly did not know what to expect with Paris, Texas. It looked like to be some European director’s take on the American western. I am glad I gave Wim Wenders’s film a chance because it is a deeply profound, moving picture about one man’s existence set in a grim, bleak world of loneliness. Anyone who has felt these urges of loneliness can relate to our main character, played superbly by the great American character actor Harry Dean Stanton. Wenders is known for his character studies by delivering thoughtful if flawed characters that embark on some sort of road trip throughout America. This movie felt more at home when compared to the experimental films from the 60’s and 70’s with similar themes. Set in the world where big blockbusters were given prominence, this is fresh breath of air that stays with you for a long, long time. Wenders combined his West German New Age sensibilities with screenwriter Sam Shepard’s (yes, also the actor) raw, bleak take on America. Shepard, being a playwright, always had an idea for meaningful, non-contrived dialogue. The screenplay is a major source of power. Credit needs to be given to Robby Muller’s outstanding cinematography because the way he captured the unforgiving Texas landscape, rock formations and blended these shots with the bleak urban setting adds power. When Ry Cooder’s haunting yet powerful slide guitar score is heard with Muller’s landscape shots, emotion is just waiting to be pulled up from deep within.

I honestly find it very hard to label the film as a foreign film. Yet this is a German production from a German director despite a screenplay from an American playwright. In the 80’s, the world was borderline anti-American due to Reagan’s policies, but the film received good notices at the Cannes Film Festival. Wenders, like his fellow German New Age directors like Herzog always was fascinated with American culture whether that be rock music, fashion, or its mythology. Being a guy with a tendency to make films that are about road trips where characters undergo emotional journeys, this was right up Wenders’s alley. This is a small, affectionate movie about a man who is lost but needs to be found. Rather than focusing on the plot, Shepard and Wenders focused on emotion. Ironically, the film is not located in the Texas city of Paris. The title comes from a photograph that mentioned the city, just in case that clears anything up.

This film begins with an immensely powerful shot. Travis Henderson (Harry Dean Stanton) walks out in the desolate landscape wearing a dusty baseball cap and a worn-out sports jacket. He just wanders until he is found by this isolate German doctor. Apparently, he disappeared without a trace. Word gets out to his brother Walt (Dean Stockwell) who lives in Los Angeles with his wife Anne (Aurore Clement), so Walt sets out to retrieve him. Travis originally does not remember why he suddenly dropped his marriage with Jane (Nastassja Kinski) four years earlier which caused them to leave their four-year-old son Hunter (Hunter Carson) at Walt’s doorstep. With Travis’s return, who is on a mission to visit Paris, Texas where he has property, the question is what will happen with Travis and Hunter. Hunter has vague memories of his father, but he considers Walt to be his real father. When Anne divulges some important information, Travis may have to go to Houston if he wants to put the pieces of his life back together.

Harry Dean Stanton has always been one of cinema’s best character actors. He has a recognizable face and shines in each role, no matter how small the part. He was unsure of the role given his 34-year age difference between himself and Kinski, but that doesn’t matter because he truly excelled as a leading man. I felt his pain as his past comes back to haunt him. I loved how he tried to connect with his son again. Everything just felt…so real. In the few scenes he had with Nastassja Kinski, both actors were powerful. Kinski is the daughter of famous German actor, Klaus Kinski which I did not know until I researched the movie. Dean Stockwell was on the verge of retiring from movies before he got this role. His supporting performance is nuanced and has lots of depth. Both Stockwell and Stanton as long-lost brothers truly had some tearjerking scenes with one another. Finally, I even liked Hunter Carson’s portrayal as an ordinary American kid that is given extraordinary circumstances.

At 150 minutes, Paris, Texas is a small movie that takes its sweet time telling its story. Wim Wenders has a lot to say about this one man trying to rediscover himself amidst the unforgiving desert landscape of the American West. It may be a small picture, but its one to remember for a long time. This is actually my first Wim Wenders movie. What a fortunate discovery! This is right at home for similar films like Midnight Cowboy or Easy Rider. Even better than those films! I was deeply affected by this man’s journey from start to finish. The resolution was not what I all hoped but it does not make it any less powerful. If you want to see a character-driven movie that will emotionally wreck you, here you are! Harry Dean Stanton is the reason to see the film.

My Grade: A