 |
| MISCELANNOUS |
 |
| Wim Wenders 1984 ‘road movie’ is –essentially - a long, complex tale about love, heartache and masculinity. Although its much more than those cliché’s. The story unfolds at a slow pace, we find the protagonist Travis, played brilliantly by Harry Dean Stanton, walking alone in the desert. He eventually clapses in a bar from dehydration carrying only one piece of paper with his bro |
| The Winner of the grand prize at Cannes in 84, is truly a compelling and fascinating piece of cinema which many link to ‘The Searchers’ in its story. It could be classed as “a modern spin” on the film Spielberg, Lucas and Coppola watch every year. In my opinion though ‘Paris, Texas’ is a much better film detailing the harshness of the human heart and unpredictability of life. Another angle is that it, like other Wender films, is about re-birth and redemption. That sounds so cheesy, but I can not put it any other way! |
| The film is American but being directed by a German you can see the European influence shining through. The long scenes, the dynamic cinematography (Which is amazing in this film, I hope someone won something for it because it’s a crime if they didn’t) and the pace and structure of the film all seem more complex than your normal American picture. |
| The performances in the film are breathtaking especially from Harry Dean Stanton. He is silent for the first 30 minutes of the film, but his face can tell the story. Also notable performances from the great Dean Stockwell (Blue Velvet) and Aurora Clement who plays the struggling wife who doesn’t want Travis to ‘steal’ the love of the boy they have been looking after for the last 4 years. She plays the French woman who seduces Martin Sheen in ‘Apocalypse Redux’, and the little boy is played by script writer LM Kit Carson's son. |
| There’s a wonderful scene when Travis ask’s “What does a dad look like” and the Spanish nurse ends up making him look like some sort of pimp. Travis waits outside of School for his son, only for them to consider him some sort of crazy person. The beautiful Nastassja Kinski plays Hunter’s real mother, the one Travis deserted, and her performance is immense and powerful, the ending is epic and shows her talent as an actress. |
| The soundtrack by Ry Cooder is also amazing, the ‘sliding guitars’ make the film even more memorable. There are rumors Wim Wenders and Sam Shepard are currently collaborating on a new film project with friend and musician T-Bone Burnett (O Brother, Where Art Thou) under the working title;‘In America’, starring Mark Everett (E, leader of the rock band Eels) and Robin Wright Penn. An astonishing and unforgettable piece of film-making portraying real human emotions, relationship, loyalty and alienation and its images refuse to leave your head long after viewing. A film you must see. |
| PARIS, TEXAS (1984) |
| By Ada-Padz |