Review of Paris, Texas (1984) by Tom C — 19 Sep 2010
Wow. Paris, Texas is a trememdously brilliant, deep, unusual movie whcih Roger Ebert described in his 1984 review as 'defiantly individual' and this it certainly is. It's impossible to guess from the exposition where exactly the movie is going to go - just like Stanton's character. Where has he been? Where is he going? Does he even know?
Like Herzog's equally brilliant 'Stroszek', to which this movie may be destined to be forever compared, it is the director's 'America' movie using similar imagery, from the bold scenes of the desert vistas and the railroads and the trailer parks to much more subtle images (such as a trucker's cap with the word 'Stetson' written on it serving as a metonymic device for the real thing).
The denouement is one of the most interesting and unique in any movie I have ever come across. It is certainly not uplifting, but at the same time it is not deeply saddening. It is not predictable or trite but is definitely not 'wild' or 'David Lynch'. It is full of heart, full of words but at the same time echoes with a hollow apathy as the characters, without spoiling the plot, seem to finally come to terms with their detachment and do little more than break even. It's a wonderful, emotional work of art.
This review of Paris, Texas (1984) was written by Tom C on 19 Sep 2010.
Paris, Texas has generally received very positive reviews.
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