Film review by Kevin Patterson
Paris, Texas * * * * (out of four) R, 1984 Directed by Wim Wenders. Written by Sam Shepard. Starring Harry Dean Stanton, Dean Stockwell, Natassja Kinski.
When I had finished watching Wim Wenders's "Paris, Texas", I knew I had just seen an excellent film, though I find it difficult to articulate exactly why it works so well. I think its greatest virtue is its low-key tone; this is by far the best personal drama I have seen in a long time, yet it is almost entirely lacking in what one would normally consider "dramatic tension." It is more powerful and poignant than most films, yet there are few tears shed and almost no harsh words or raised voices.
"Paris, Texas" opens with the very simple image of a man (Harry Dean Stanton) walking through a barren landscape by himself along the Texas/Mexico border. He eventually wanders into the office of a local physician, but literally refuses to speak. Eventually he is identified; his name is Travis, and he has a brother named Walt (Dean Stockwell) who lives in Los Angeles. Walt, who has not seen or heard from Travis in four years, drives across the country to pick him up, only to find that Travis either cannot remember where he has been or simply isn't telling. To complicate matters, Travis's wife has also been missing for the last four years, and Walt and his wife have been caring for their son ever since.
>From then on, "Paris, Texas" proceeds as a recounting of how Travis's family fell apart and an examination of his attempt to forge a new connection with his son and put right what has gone terribly wrong. Travis gradually emerges as a man who seems to crave the solitude of the open road; he seems most at home during his cross-country driving trips with Walt and later with his son. Wenders makes use of many exterior shots during these segments, which, along with the folk-guitar score, infuse the story with a sense of melancholy and longing. Wenders and screenwriter Sam Shepard appropriately manage both to romanticize Travis's loner tendencies and to point out the shortcomings of such an approach to life - there are many moments, such as when Travis stops to give a pat on the back to one of Los Angeles's many roadside prophets, that are touching and make us admire Travis as a human being, yet in no way does the film excuse his role in his family's breakup.
The development of Travis as a somewhat flawed but sympathetic character who wants to make amends is one of the film's strongest points, but what makes it most exceptional is its style. It tells a simple, straightforward story in a way that is quite unconventional at least by movie standards. Rather than apologizing for its simplicity by heaping up melodramatic outbursts, gratuitous sex scenes, and the like, it wears it as a badge of honor and focuses sharply on the characters. It's a shame that more filmmakers don't realize that their characters and stories are strong enough to carry a movie and as a result go for flashy sensationalism to cover their backs. But, until that happens, "Paris, Texas" holds its own as a refreshing reminder that there are still at least a few exceptions to the rule in the film industry.
NOTE: The 'R' rating for this film is, in my opinion, quite inappropriate, as there is literally no violence or nudity, only one use of the "f-word," and only one instance of implied sexual content. A 'PG-13' rating would have sufficed.
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