RELEASED: 1984
RUNNING TIME: 147 mins
DIRECTOR: Wim Wenders
MAIN CAST:
Travis (Harry Dean-Stanton)
Walt (Dean Stockwell)
Hunter (Hunter Carson)
Jane (Nastassja Kinski)
Anne (Aurore Clement)
I first watched Paris Texas back in 1986, on its British TV premier as part of ... Read review
With his outsider's view of America, Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire, Alice in the Cities) ... more
transforms PARIS, TEXAS into a haunting tale of loss, redemption and the ties that bind families together, and is arguably Wenders' greatest achievement. Travis Henderson (Harry Dean Stanton) walks out of the desert after four years, to the amazement of his brother, Walt (Dean Stockwell). Reunited with Hunter, his seven-year-old son, Travis decides that they should search for his ex-wife (Nastassja Kinski) so that they can be a family once again. Beautifully shot by Robbie Mller, Sam Shepard's beguilingly simple story is stunningly realised by Wenders, whose stark imagery is accompanied by Ry Cooder's acclaimed score. Winner of the Palme d'Or at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival and the Best Director prize at BAFTA in 1985, PARIS TEXAS is rightly regarded as one of the artistic triumphs of contemporary world cinema.
For the first time on DVD, Texas present their greatest Hit's video, a full live concert ... more
recording from the sell-out shows at the Palais de Bercy, Paris.The Videos.In Demand, Black Eyed Boy, Halo, In Our Lifetime, Tired Of Being Alone, So In Love With You, Prayer For You, I Don't Want A Lover, When We Are Together, Sumemr Son, Inner Smile, Say What You Want.Paris Setlist.In Demand, Black Eyed Boy, Halo, In Our Lifetime, Guitar Song, Insane, Tired Of Being Alone, So In Love With You, Prayer For You, I Don't Want A Lover, When We Are Together, Sumemr Son, Inner Smile, Suspicious Minds, Say What You Want.
Mute suffering from amnesia and long thought dead Travis (Harry Dean Stanton) is ... more
discovered wandering around in the Texas desert. Slowly the story of his past unfolds first with help from his brother (Dean Stockwell) and sister-and-law (Aurore Clement) and finally by Travis himself as he begins to regain his relationship with his young son and his long-lost wife (Nastassja Kinski). Winner of the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and hailed by critics and audiences alike Paris Texas is haunting beautifully photographed and sensitively acted. It's a film you won't soon forget.
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Advantages: Quiet, thought-provoking, sensitive, tasteful, gently emotive Disadvantages: For me, none at all but for some people it may take a bit of getting into
RELEASED: 1984
RUNNING TIME: 147 mins
DIRECTOR: Wim Wenders
MAIN CAST:
Travis (Harry Dean-Stanton)
Walt (Dean Stockwell)
Hunter (Hunter Carson)
Jane (Nastassja Kinski)
Anne (Aurore Clement)
I first watched Paris Texas back in 1986, on its British TV premier as part of the Channel IV ‘Film On Four’ series, and from the very first frame of Travis ... ...desert, my attention was captured. My eyes didn't leave the TV screen for one single second throughout the film, as I was totally and utterly engrossed.
Travis is a man who has somehow estranged himself from his family. A doctor at a desert outpost clinic discovers Travis when he collapses after entering the place and had fainted whilst attempting to eat piles of ice cubes. The doctor manages to contact Travis’ brother Walt, via a ... more
RELEASED: 1984
RUNNING TIME: 147 mins
DIRECTOR: Wim Wenders
MAIN CAST:
Travis (Harry Dean-Stanton) Walt (Dean Stockwell) Hunter (Hunter Carson) Jane (Nastassja Kinski) Anne (Aurore Clement)
I first watched Paris Texas back in 1986, on its British TV premier as part of the Channel IV ‘Film On Four’ series, and from the very first frame of Travis (Harry Dean-Stanton) walking alone in the searing sun through the desert, my attention was captured. My eyes didn't leave the TV screen for one single second throughout the film, as I was totally and utterly engrossed.
Travis is a man who has somehow estranged himself from his family. A doctor at a desert outpost clinic discovers Travis when he collapses after entering the place and had fainted whilst attempting to eat piles of ice cubes. The doctor manages to contact Travis’ brother Walt, via a phone number he finds amongst his sparse belongings.
Worried and confused, Walt explains to his wife Anne that Travis has been found, then sets off on the long journey from his home in Los Angeles to pick Travis up. Anne is very worried, because since Travis’ disappearance four years earlier, she and Walt (who have no children of their own) have been looking after Hunter, Travis’ small son. Anne fears that Travis’ reappearance in their lives will make it so that she and Walt have to hand Hunter back to his real parents.
Once Walt has collected Travis, they travel the long journey back to LA in almost complete silence, as Travis appears to have lost his memory and after many futile attempts at conversation with his long lost brother, Walt gives up.
I won’t say too much more about the storyline of the film, because I believe the whole thing is best watched first-hand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Paris Texas is a very laid-back film – to some people it may seem very slow-moving, but it isn’t supposed to be an action-packed melee of screeching car chases, partying and other high jinx. The whole film does require a certain degree of concentration to watch and appreciate, as its incredible yet subtle power comes not from action and doing, but from serenity, calmness and being. The story is a highly emotive one of deep love and searing loss, but the emotion is portrayed quietly, tastefully, sensitively, intelligently, and with none of what in a lot of other films, to me is a mawkish, drama-queen style dross.
Ry Cooder's blues guitar musical score on the film is spine tingling and wistfully atmospheric, and for me though there are many heart-tugging highlights in the film, there is one particularly moving moment when Travis is crossing a footbridge across a motorway just as the dawn is breaking, and has to walk past a man on the bridge who is obviously quite disturbed.....the man is shouting at nobody in particular about all he feels is wrong with the world. Travis needs to pass the man and is a little nervous of what his reaction may be, but he then realises the man hasn't even noticed him. As Travis walks very close to the man, he lightly touches him on the arm, then walks on. This for me is an exquisitely moving moment in the film, more from how it is done than anything else.
I don’t even want to vaguely hint at the ending of the film, but I will say that each time I see Paris Texas (and I must have seen it at least 20 times), I have to have a couple of boxes of tissues next to me.....and, I'm not a weepy person either. It's not just sadness the whole of this film is seeped in; it's a deep melancholia, and a wistful tale of incredible loss.
If it were up to me to decide, I would hand all the accolades in the world to Harry Dean-Stanton for portraying the confused, unhappy and rather shy character of Travis with a sensitivity that holds no bounds. In addition, the acting performance of then child star Hunter Carson is totally mind-blowing, especially as he was only aged 8 at the time the film was made.
I strongly recommend to anyone who has any appreciation of delicacy and wistfulness and who is bored with overblown Hollywood trash from any era, to give Paris Texas a watch. If you can't get to grips with it first time, then leave it a few weeks and give it another watch.......this bittersweet film has SOUL, deep soul, and ties with Midnight Cowboy as my all-time favourite film.
Paris Texas is available for purchase on Amazon as follows:-
New : from £4.18 to £14.55 (add £1.21 to the charges for shipping costs) Used : from £1.95 to £7.80
£1.21 must be added to all charges to cover shipping costs. It isn’t clear on the information provided for most of those items whether they are on DVD or CD.
Watch it!!!
Thanks for reading.
~~ This is a re-write of my original review on DooYoo, published under my GentleGenius user name ~~
Advantages: It was free, broadened my horizons, keeps you occupied for 2.5 hours Disadvantages: Rather slow-paced and does go on a bit longer than necessary
...I’d never even heard of Paris, Texas, despite it winning awards at the BAFTAs, Golden Globes and Cannes. Then again, I was only two when it was released, in 1984, so I suppose that’s some excuse…
All I did know about the film when we started was that it was a ‘road trip movie’, though this didn’t prove entirely accurate. Well, sure, there were road trips involved, but the film wasn’t really about them. Rather, it could be called a personal journey ... ...Dean Stanton) wondering lost in the desert, and his brother Walt (Dean Stockwell) coming to pick him up and take him home to LA. Travis has been missing for four years, leaving his wife and young child Hunter in the care of his brother. Exactly what happened to him isn’t clear – for a long while he says nothing, appearing either amnesic or ‘locked in’ – but he opens up somewhat on the long drive home under Walt’s questioning, revealing he wanted ...
a-true-ben 21.05.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Paris, Texas (DVD)
Advantages: Ry Cooder soundtrack. Disadvantages: A bit too long.
***INTRO***
This film produced and directed by Wim Wenders' is probably one of most well known, critically acclaimed, and successful movie, winning a number of international prizes including the Cannes Palm D'or (1984), Bafta, Berlin Silver Bear, French Film Critic's prize). Screen play by playwright Sam Sheppard soundtrack by Ry Cooder. I saw a promotional copy that at 147 minutes was a little on the long side. The film is suitable only for person's ... ...story turned road movie tells the tale of Travis, a man lost in his own in his own private hell. I quote from the cover. " Presumed dead for four years, he reappears from the desert on the Mexican border, world - weary and an amnesiac. He traces his brother Wait who is bringing up Hunter, his seven - year - old son, his ex - wife Jane having abandoned him at Wait's door several years before. As virtual strangers, hunter and Travis begin to build ...
JeffreyB 22.10.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Paris, Texas (DVD)
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Quick review of Paris, Texas (DVD)
this film is a outstanding film. if u don't watch it ,it will be ur fault. thanks for watching it. so enjoy watching it ...
eyew 01.07.2007
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Paris, Texas (DVD)
Advantages: Very atmospheric, haunting film. Distinctive soundtrack. Disadvantages: Can be a bit hard going at times.
A great piece of art film making from Wim Wenders, beautifully paced and shot with a perfect slide guitar soundtrack. Add to that Harry Dean Stanton - surely one of the most under rated actors ever - the delectable Miss Kinski, atmosphere so good that you keep swatting your cheek for flys (well I did), an intriguing plot and you have a great modern semi-masterpiece. Its a pity that Wenders complained that Spielberg was much inferior to him as a film ...
JSpencer 10.09.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Paris, Texas (DVD)
Contains strong language and moderate sex references
Video Category
Feature Film
Country Of Origin
United States of America
Plot
Winner of the grand prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1984, the haunting story of an amnesiac's struggle to rebuild his shattered life. The screenplay was written by Sam Shepard. Music by Ry Cooder.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
ANCHOR BAY HOME ENTERTAINMENT; PINNACLE VISION, AXIOM FILMS INTERNATIONAL LTD; FUSION MEDIA SALES; SONY DADC
Release date
02/09/2002
No of Discs
1
Catalogue No
ABWWD 27
Barcode
5060020620706
Screenwriter
L.M. Kit Carson, Sam Shepard
Music Performer
Ry Cooder
Composer
Ry Cooder
Author
Sam Shepard
Languages
Main Language
English
Technical information
Special Features
Deleted Scenes, Featurette On Wim Wenders And Klaus Kinski, Audio Commentary, Biographies, Filmographies, Photo Gallery
Aspect Ratio
16:9 Wide Screen, 16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Professional reviews
Review
"...PARIS, TEXAS is refined arthouse cinema...It's indeed a beautiful film....Some images are positively breathtaking..." (Variety, 23/05/1984)
DVD Description
Winner of the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1984, Wim Wenders's PARIS, TEXAS tells the haunting story of an amnesiac (Harry Dean Stanton) and his struggle to rebuild his shattered life. Featuring a story by Sam Shepard and a renowned score by Ry Cooder, the film also stars Nastassja Kinski and Dean Stockwell.
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