Review of Paris, Texas (1984) by Sabra E — 05 Sep 2011

With the onset of this movie, I thought it was all about the showcasing of the color palette. The high contrast accents of red (Travis's cap, an old sign at an abandoned gas station; it's basically omnipresent) adding interest to what could've been a dreary dessert setting of beige eternity.

But then we're thrown into reality when an estranged father/brother who's been mysteriously missing for four years is found and brought back into the issue of his abandoned family: his son who is now seven (who's been looked after by his brother and his wife), and his young wife who ran away but occasionally wires money to their son without letters or contact.

As Travis awakens from his comatose, ultra ennui'd out state of mind, he sees that he must take responsibility for the rift he's created in his son's life. He embarks on a mission to find his wife by tracing her checks to the bank from which they've been sent.

This is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen, on a physical and emotional level. The cinematography is reminiscent of Amelie, minus the whimsical romantic hootnanny business that makes it so charming; but Paris, Texas is charming in its own right--existentially charming, if that's even possible; and the scene at the end in the hotel--heartbreaking.