Paris, Texas (1984) Review - Dylan McCully

Written by Dylan McCully, 10/14/22

Dylan McCully's Cinema: https://www.imdb.com/list/ls521125877/

Director Wim Wenders and screenwriter Sam Shepard wanted to tell a story about America. They casted character actors in some of the leading roles, which turned out to be the best possible choice they could make. I love Harry Dean Stanton in all his small roles, but to see him here makes you really wonder why he wasn't a bigger star. Same goes for Dean Stockwell, who was going to quit acting and become a real estate agent before joining the cast of this film. This is, more than anything, a human story. No matter how many times you watch it, you can feel the range of emotions portayed.

The story concerns a man, Travis, lost in the desert before being found and brought to his brother, Walt, who hasn't seen him for four years. Travis, played by Harry Dean Stanton, has a melancholic sense of longing to him, which is enhanced by the subtleties of the performance. Walt and his wife have been taking care of Travis's son, Hunter, whose mother, Jane, also left him. Travis and Hunter bond again and go on a journey to find Jane. Without spoiling the film, it gets pretty heartfelt by the end, to put it lightly.

That was the film in a couple of sentences, but the meat of Paris, Texas lies in it's extended conversations during long car rides. Travis tells Walt about a photo he has on him, an empty property in the town of Paris, Texas, where his parents first met. Travis's growing relationship with Hunter, and the freedom felt in their road trip is another one of my favorite sequences. The best scenes in this movie are when Travis and Hunter's road trip finish, and the conversation a character who I won't name retells an emotional story with another.

The cinematography from Robby Muller captures the wide, empty deserts of Texas and makes it a desert look more beautiful than possibly any other movie ever, and I'll also shout out Kate Altman for the production design. The subtle score enhances every scene. Overall, Paris, Texas is a feast for the heart and a feast for the eyes, and I would highly recommend it. 8/10

Wim Wender Ranked:

1. Paris, Texas - 8/10