Review of Paris, Texas (1984) by David S — 09 Feb 2010

Texas has been a major focal point throughout the history of cinema. From the classic westerns all of the way to until now, filmmakers have found bold inspiration kept in the rugged landscape of the American southwest. Who would've thought that, possibly, the greatest representation of this terrain would've been captured by a pioneer of New German Cinema, who's not even from the state (let alone the country).

The star of the picture has to be Robby Müller, whose cinematography is always breathtaking, but here captures some astoundingly beautiful images which rank amongst his greatest works. The cast is amazing with Harry Dean Stanton leading the way in, quite possibly, the best performance of his career. The subtle score by Ry Cooder only expands the universe and environment of the film in brilliant minimalist fashion.

The story is sheer perfection and highly recommend that if you haven't yet seen this work, or any film by Wim Wenders for that matter, this should be high on your list. This film went on to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes and remains one of the few masterpieces to come out of the 1980s. Well, that's about all the praising I've got in me for now. All I can do for the time being is wait for you to go watch it right this instant. Go on, I'll wait...