We open with Harry Dean Stanton walking out of the Texas desert, parched and dusty in a worn suit, red baseball hat and deteriorating shoes that might be sandles. Upon encountering civilization he heads into a sort of bar/general store, greedily scarfs down some ice from the ice chest and then collapses. Medical authorities identify him as Travis Henderson Jr., they contact his brother Walt (Dean Stockwell) in California, who promptly comes out to retrieve him. We learn that Travis disapered four years ago along with his wife (Nastassja Kinski) leaving behind a then three year old son, who Walt and his wife Ann (Auorore Clement) have been raising as their own. The mystery of what happened to Travis and his wife is slowly reveled over the course of the film.
'Paris, Texas' is a beautiful movie. Beautiful in its story and the empathetic portraits of its characters. Beautiful in its visual composition, gorgeous to look at nearly every frame in this movie could be blown up and hung on a gallery wall. Beautiful in what its German born director Wim Wenders is able to suss out about America, things us natives may be too close to see clearly and really appreciate. It has one of the greatest endings I've ever seen and is quite possibly the best movie of 1984. A real achievement and a glorious and moving experience to watch, I was very invested.
While in hind sight some things strain credulity a bit, the pairing of Stanton and Kinski, while not exactly credible when I was watching it seems even less so on reflection. Not that this really matters, the emotional truth of that relationship is there and expertly rendered. There are moments of German weirdness, though they add to the charm. That something could be so esoteric and expressive, almost surreal, but practically documentary at the same time, that's really something. A rainy road, under an overpass, a hillside California home and a fadded Texas neighborhood, kentic in a way I've never seen. Also the kid, Hunter Carson, so good but so much a real kid at the same time. Sam Shepherd's source material, L.M. Kit Carson's screenplay, as strong as Wim Wenders direction and Robby Muller's cinematography. Everything really comes together in this, I can't praise it highly enough. Please see 'Paris, Texas'. ****
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