Review of Paris, Texas (1984) by Gareth M — 07 Feb 2010
Patience is the key to this film, shot in a manner reminiscent to "Badlands" without the arrogance and swagger and ultimately the love story of that film.
The film is very quiet bordering on silent, with lots of fix camera shots with "Travis" just walking around the south west countryside and California; until his brother turns up to find him, another modest man who brings him back home to Los Angeles, and more importantly to his son "Hunter". The arkward rebuilding of his relationship with his son; almost alien like but twee is like a mini film within a film.
The continual lack of two way dialogue, and the frustration of his brother, that he doesn't open up and talk transcends to us the viewer, as the premise of his 4 year disappearance, and his wife's disappearance remains a mystery throughout, deliberately done for tension.
The final third of the film is of course his return to find his wife, and the cleverly done two way mirror in which he talks to her, where only he can see her, gradually building up to this acrendro of dialogue !!! where the whole film is explained and fulfilled is overwhelmingly beautiful, and makes all the patient, lond silent shots worthwhile.
This review of Paris, Texas (1984) was written by Gareth M on 07 Feb 2010.
Paris, Texas has generally received very positive reviews.
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