Review of Paris, Texas (1984) by Jack M — 10 Apr 2017

Wim Wenders' beautiful tale of love, loss, and sacrifice is my favourite film to date. Its gorgeous cinematography and soundtrack compliment the wonderful performances from not just Harry Dean Stanton and Nastassja Kinski, but the entirety of the cast.

The film follows Stanton's protagonist, Travis, as he attempts to rebuild his relationship with his son Hunter, and his wife Jane, after mysteriously going missing for years. What ensues is a moving portrait of a man who must ultimately sacrifice his own happiness for that of those he loves.

This film is a contemporary Western, using the genres features and translating it into a modern-day setting. What we get because of this is both a beautiful look at the American South-West and a poetic journey with a mysterious, flawed protagonist, who ultimately redeems himself, a clear play on the Western genre conventions. It mimics films like Shane and The Searchers through the nature of its lead.

This film, despite its 150-minute runtime, is incredibly rewarding even after multiple watches. Because it plays on such well-recognised genre features, we know how this film will end. He will take Hunter to Jane, and due to his jealous and manipulative personality, he will leave so that those he loves can live a happy life. Film to me is less about the destination and more about the journey, and for a road movie like Paris, Texas this is perfect. We experience what Travis experiences, we feel his emotions, see the world with him, and are crushed by the finale despite the inevitable nature of it. What rewards us is not the finale, but the road to it. Just describing this masterpiece cannot do full justice to it, it is a must see for lovers of cinema.