"Paris, Texas" is an artsy film from German director Wim Wenders. And, it's the stort of movie that critics generally adore and the common folk generally find long and confusing. Now I am not saying either view is wrong...in fact, I could easily see both sides of this. So you need to ask yourself before watching it, "Am I the sort of person who loves very, very, very long and slow films?". If not, please don't bother watching it. And, if so, you may love it or find that the payoff just isn't worth it. As for me, I just wish the film had more energy and had been trimmed a tad....it would have, at least for me, made the film watching experience enjoyable.

The story begins at some grubby clinic in the middle of nowhere. You never really know where this is...perhaps Mexico, perhaps somewhere in the American Southwest. Regardless, Walt (Dean Stockwell) gets a phone call from a doctor at the clinic telling him they found his brother, Travis (Harry Dean Stanton),wandering in the desert...dazed and mute. Walt takes the long trip to get him and Travis is, at least for the first 30 or so minutes of the film, a bit of a zombie. How he got there and what had happened to him isn't discussed and the trip back is long and strange.

After about half an hour, Travis begins to open up...just a bit. But again, how he got into the middle of the desert and why he was gone for four years....well, that isn't addressed in any way until very late in the story. Slowly, very slowly, you learn that his wife also disappeared about the same time....and their son has been living with Walt and his wife for some time. Later, rather out of the blue, Travis and his boy take off from California (where Walt lives) and they head to Texas to look for Jane (Nastassja Kinski)--Travis' wife and the boy's mother.

While the movie is about two and a half hours long, it feels like at least three or four due to the very slow and deliberate pacing...as well as the emotionally muted acting. No one (in particular Travis) has any energy and although you'd think Walt and the others would scream and yell at Travis for just dropping off the face of the earth....they never do. Because of that, the movie felt very artificial to me...very much like a movie and not real life...which is odd, as Wenders seems to be trying to make the film look more like real life.. A bit more energy sure would have worked for me! But, what do I know? After all, the film is considered by many to be a classic and the movie is in IMDB's Top 250....and is critically adored.



Overall, a film that is NOT for everyone...heck, it's probably not for MOST people. All I know is that the cinematography looked good and the acting, at times, was quite good...but at least for some folks it would have worked so much better had the film been tighter and the characters less zombie-like. I did like the evocative film score.

By the way, I know that Nastassja Kinski was a popular actress for a brief period in American films in 1984, but it seemed strange to cast her and then ask her to do a Texas accent. She did a good job of it....I am not complaining. But it is a confusing choice. Perhaps she and Wenders were friends or knew each other.

Also my second favourite film of 1984 after Amadeus. Paris, Texas is just wonderful. The movie looks beautiful, the scenery is stunning and the cinematography and editing are just textbook examples of how to photograph and edit a movie. There is also a haunting guitar score that adds to the emotion of this film, and a deeply moving and affecting story complete with a heart-rending confrontation. The pace is deliberately mannered, but that is not a bad thing at all, if anything it is a strength, and the script is beautifully written. The direction is also superb, while the film sees a rare leading role for Harry Dean Stanton and he is just a joy in this movie. In conclusion, Paris, Texas is a must-see, and I honestly think it is one of the best of its decade. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Travis Henderson (Harry Dean Stanton) walks out of the South Texas desert in an almost catatonic state wearing a dusty suit and tie. A doctor finds and calls his brother Walt Henderson (Dean Stockwell) in L.A. who comes out to reunite with him after 4 years absence. Travis is fixated on going to Paris, Texas. One day, he and his wife Jane (Nastassja Kinski) disappeared and had left behind his son Hunter. Walt and his wife Anne (Aurore Clément) took Hunter in.

Harry Dean Stanton and Dean Stockwell drive the film forward as it teases what this eventually is going. It's like walking in the desert with Travis. It is fascinating but one must surrender to it. The kid is quite good. The movie does turn into something even more compelling with Nastassja Kinski. However it is a long road to get there.