This should be an American classic
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Paris, Texas
Mr_Ectoplasma — 14 years ago(February 24, 2012 02:15 AM)
I'm shocked that it isn't, to be honest. After seeing it I'd thought of it as being up there in the canon with films held in high regard like "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest", "The Deer Hunter", and "It's A Wonderful Life", but it seems like this slipped through the cracks. Some people DO consider it a classic of that sort, but I don't think it's been long enough yet for it to be recognized as one of the greatest films we've got.
For one: thematically speaking, it's universal, with family being its focal point. Family is something we can all relate to, no matter how problematic, dysfunctional, or substandard our own may be. In reality, this film actually probably speaks more to people who come from broken families or bad situations, but it's unique in the sense that the audience gets a rounded perspective from not only the child, but the parents, both biological and adoptive, and also the generational dynamics of that. There's no archetypal antagonist in the film, either; rather, the antagonist exists simply in the repercussions of bad decisions made by people and the simple fact that sometimes certain parts of our lives are inevitably doomed or are unable to be what we would like them to, and there is nothing we can do to make it better. It simply has to be accepted.
Secondly, on a more cinematic level, everything in this film just about looks and sounds flawless. The music is perfect, the cinematography is gorgeous, and the performances are all surprisingly believable and have a wholehearted sense of reality about them. The last two scenes in this movie tug at your heartstrings in a way that is neither manipulative nor too distant, and the ending that so many people seem to complain about grounds the film in reality because it leaves us as unsure as the characters are; all we know, and all they know, is that, at that moment, everything is RIGHT and as it should be. What comes after is irrelevant, but the fact remains that they had each other at that moment and that confrontation and reunion was not only necessary, but long, long overdue.
Ultimately a bittersweet gem of a film, and one of the few films I've ever seen that is nearly flawless. It hit me emotionally in a way that films just don't; there are lots of movies I see that deal with emotional issues that I understand and feel sympathy and can have a full-fledged understanding of, but it's rare for a film to so quietly creep under my skin and allow me to FEEL as much as this one did without being forceful or manipulative. For that, I'm endlessly thankful that this movie was ever made. -
chas437 — 13 years ago(April 03, 2012 03:53 PM)
Yeah, I think this is one of the best films ever made. I concur with your analysis, and you are barely scratching the surface. The fact that it never had mass appeal, at least in the US, doesn't change this. I think Paris Texas is as close to perfection in film making as anything I've ever seen. I know for a fact this work is widely taught in film class. It is held in the highest critical regard.
I remember when this film was first released. It was more on the art house cinema curcuit. Paris Texas was one of the first successful "Indie" films in the US in the early 80s. -
ForeignInfluence — 13 years ago(April 09, 2012 01:45 PM)
I agree with you 100% that this is a classic but it is not hard to see why it is not considered as such by many.
- At the time of release, 'indie' movie makers did not have the internet for 'free' promotion. Distribution channels are narrow today, they were much tighter in 1984 when "Paris, Texas" was released. Unlike today, movie stars did not go to indie movie festivals. Maybe they did, I have no idea
- I sense many people think that German director cannot make a meaningful movie about US, period. OK!
- Like Kubrick, Wim Wenders is a passionate photographer and used to work in theater. They tend to spend quite a bit of energy on scenery and background and, as a result, their movies are slow paced. Example: Kubrick's "Shining" (In other words, why make an effort to capture something extraordinary and cut it after 2 seconds?)
- There is no happy ending. (I heard once some known movie critic comment on 'No Country for Old Men': "I don't go to the movies for irony, I go for satisfaction!" I say: "Hire a prostitute!". God save us from these morons) OK Relax. Focus. Carry on There is no happy ending but how could there be? In that harrowing monologue at the end, Travis tells us that he is unfit to be a father or a husband, and unlike many, he knows it and decides to leave. Sad but probably best for everyone.
- The movie does not follow strict recipe. It does not have a typical hero. Considering how deeply and profoundly flawed Travis is, by reuniting his son with his mother, he did more good than Batman and Spiderman combined. Of course I am using comics heroes to emphasize the point, not to diss them. I love both.
- At the time of release, 'indie' movie makers did not have the internet for 'free' promotion. Distribution channels are narrow today, they were much tighter in 1984 when "Paris, Texas" was released. Unlike today, movie stars did not go to indie movie festivals. Maybe they did, I have no idea
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franzkabuki — 13 years ago(April 16, 2012 05:54 AM)
"There is no happy ending".
There is, however, a gooey and mawkish ending dripping with overwrought sentiment which per se should appeal to wide American audiences etc Guess Wenders just drew the final monologues out too long for comfort.
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan -
chas437 — 13 years ago(April 22, 2012 08:55 PM)
Very nice post cointossguy, a lot of thoughtful observations. For myself, an American, this is one of the greatest films of my lifetime. The notion that the film need not have a happy ending was well ahead of its time, and became mainstream by the 1990's in American film making.
Your observations about this film are spot on. The depth of this film cannot be measured. Paris Texas is as close to perfection as I've seen in my lifetime.
Ultimately, this film was way over the heads of American audiences circa 1984. But for some of us, it was a revalation. -
ForeignInfluence — 13 years ago(April 24, 2012 09:10 AM)
I was a teenager when this movie came out. Movie critics praised it but people who saw it were not impressed so I decided not to watch it. 28 years late, by complete accident, I picked up "Paris, Texas" from the public library and WOW! I don't watch enough films to consider myself competent critic. I think I own 6 only DVD titles, the ones that truly moved me, and as of now it looks like "Paris, Texas" will be #7 in my library. Little pricey though ($25 on Amazon) but well worth it.
Oh, did you catch that line by Hunter when his school friend asks him "How come you have two fathers?" and he goes " dunno, just lucky I guess." Sad and funny. -
chas437 — 13 years ago(April 24, 2012 01:15 PM)
Hunter Carson was 8 or 9 when he appeared in "Paris Texas". His performance was absolutely amazing for a child that age. Others have said, and I agree, that this was one of the best performances by a child actor in recent memory.
I was also thinking about what you said about Wim Wenders, and his obsession for scenery and background, and how this tended to cause the films to be slow-paced. For a film like "Paris Texas", that was exactly what was called for. The landscapes in this film are brilliant. In particular, the scenes shot in the Big Bend country of south Texas (where Travis emerges from his mexican odyssey). If you ever get a chance to travel down that way, I highly recommend it. It has incredibly desolate yet beautiful desert landscapes. Also, the scenes shot at Walt's house by the airport in LA, are very meaningful to the context of the film. Walt works his life away so he can live in a house he can barely afford by the airport. This is Walt's "American Dream".
I was about 20 when this film was released, and we were lucky enough to be able to see it as a new release at our small college. Watching it age 20, it effected me deeply in certain ways. Seeing it 28 years latter, I think I understand the film better because of my own life experiences, and I enjoy it even more. Time has been very kind to "Paris Texas". -
ForeignInfluence — 13 years ago(April 26, 2012 08:25 AM)
Hunter's role was one of the most demanding ones I've seen. Some of his lines were way beyond his age ("just lucky I guess" included) but he did as well as a child actor can do. People criticize Kinski's acting but the way she held up in that long monologue by Travis is what cemented PT's greatness. I watched the movie only once but I viewed "the monologue" scene many times in search of imperfections in Kinski's performance but I found none. Had she failed to reflect Travis' word with perfect facial expressions, the movie would have crumbled to pieces. Instead, she delivered beautifully.
The landscape, oh, the landscape! For the first 30-45 minutes the landscape is really the star of the movie. Wim Wenders has been in love with America's southwest since he saw John Ford's "Searchers". Criterion DVD contains photo slide that WW did few years earlier while traveling through the region (it is marvelous) which is how he got the idea for Paris Texas. Not from a novel, mind you. WW says they started shooting without entire script and ended up getting the Houston sequence (roughly last hour of the movie) from Sam Shepard over the phone because Sam had already started another project in Cleveland. This reinforces WW claim that he at any moment has 10 great ideas on how to start a movie but no idea how to end either one. You could say that Wim Wenders basically used first hour of the movie to capture the glory of American southwest. For the second half he credits Sam Shepard. If you look at movies as any ordinary product, the second half of Paris, Texas was way more important. It was great in itself but it also made the product complete. However, it would not be possible without that initial setup of Travis against vast and barren land that made us think "what in the world is wrong with Travis, what ails this man?"
Oh, I could go on -
chas437 — 13 years ago(April 26, 2012 10:26 AM)
I know, I could go on and on as well. I see you and I are of very like mind when it comes to this film. I think Kinski's performance was very strong, and as you say, the fate of the film depended on a believable performance. It is so rare in films that one of the main protagonists appears so late in the film. But that's how the story is told in "Paris Texas". It starts as a complete mystery, but as time moves forward, we learn bits and clues to the mystery. The scenes with Travis and Jane at the peep show place in Houston fill in the final details of the great tragedy as well as cementing the dominant theme of the film, the juxtaposition of all that is classy and sophisticated as represented by the Idea of Paris, the desire to marry a fancy woman (it is no coinsidence that Walt is married to a French woman), etc, and the reality of life in east Texas and the US in general?, which is the complete opposite.
I agree with what you say about the early portion of the film. The scenes of Travis wandering aimlessly through the Big Bend desert country, and his "crash landing" in Terlingua, at the clinic of shady german doctor, are meant to peak one's interest. As for me, I was hooked to the gills by the first 45 minutes or so of the film. -
ForeignInfluence — 13 years ago(May 02, 2012 10:21 AM)
We seem to agree too much but since it's Paris Texas, that's ok. I have to admit that initially I did not pay attention and missed the significance of the title and how fancy-vs-ordinary was the dominant theme of the movie. I heard about it from the interview with director a day later. I guess I was too caught up digesting some of the greatest scenes I have ever seen to be able to generalize about Paris Texas in its entirety right away. It takes time to generalize about the movie of PT's greatness.
And you are right, Paris pause Texas, has very important meaning. If I am not mistaken, Travis described his mother as too plain of a woman and somewhat disappointment to his father which seemed to affect Travis' choices in life, mainly to marry a woman out of his league (by most people standards) as his brother did. Thinking about it, I found Ann somewhat out of place in the movie. She seemed slightly too nice, too sophisticated, too good a step-mom or aunt, too attractive, too everything for the story that my initial urge was to dismiss her as director's miscast. Of course, she was like that on purpose.
As I said, I was too immersed in some of the greatest scenes in cinema to see more subtle messages of the movie. The scene when Travis waits for Hunter after school and they end up mimicking each other's walk is memorable. It does not take behavioral expert to see that Travis is not good communicator and the scene emphasizes Travis' deficiency but it also shows his desire to overcome that so he can have relationship with his son. It also emphasizes the fact that Travis is a man-child, however cheerful it may look in this scene. Remember when Travis stopped the truck at the intersection with sings for Houston (left) and San Antonio? (right) seemingly incapable to decide. And Hunter goes: "Dad, left". It was funny but again, it was sad too. It reminded us of how poorly equipped Travis was to face ordinary daily challenges. -
chas437 — 13 years ago(May 02, 2012 12:59 PM)
I agree (what a surprise). The first time you view "Paris Texas", you are too overwhelmed to pick up on all the little details. Its a film that has so much depth, you literally do have to watch it 3 or 4 times to take it all in. I've seen it well over ten times, and I still pick up small details. Its such a perfectly crafted film, that every detail fits into place.
Anne is a very interesting character as well. How she came to be married to Walt is unknown, as many things are in this film. I think her character fits in perfectly with the film, although she is clearly a lonely, unhappy and ultimately a tragic figure.
In terms of understanding the story, I think one of the most important, but easily overlooked scenes, is when Travis has been on a drinking binge and he and Hunter are in the laundy mat. This is when he talks about his parents and his father's desire to marry a fancy woman, and how his father was disappointed with his mother's plainness. This can be easily dismissed as the ramblings of a drunk man, but its actually, in a way, the answer to the great mystery of the film. The Henderson brothers, Travis and Walt, especially Travis desire women that are "fancy", while they themselves come from plain, humble origins. Travis marries a beautiful young girl who may have come from an abusive environment and probably has very low self-esteem. She is at least 20 years younger than him, so major problems are inevitable. Tragedy ensues, which changes the lives of all the characters in the film.
So, the story of Travis and Jane is somewhat of a parable. But I think there is much more to this film. There are other important sub-themes, etc. The things that are unknown to us in this film are just as important as the things we know. From the breathe taking cinamatography to the beautiful and haunting music, this is a vision of the American West through the eyes of an outsider that is beyond compelling. I really can't put it all into words, unless I spent a really long time. -
mailstevejones — 13 years ago(June 06, 2012 06:26 PM)
Amazing film, agree with the comments on the new depths discovered from watching the film again several times as I've got older. Having a 12 year old blonde haired son adds a poignancy
The ending isn't even screened but completely constructed by the film.
Travis walks away after creating a bond with Hunter that will break his heart. Hunter finds his emotionally disintegrating mother who will crumble bringing him up in a peep show hostess's lifestyle. Walt and Anne will be left devastated by the lose of their step son, break up and divorce
A tragedy perfectly narrated.
The cinematography is perfect but it's the sound that impresses on subsequent viewings. The sounds of the freeway and the airport in Walt's house. That low humming sound in the cubicle monologue scene
I wonder what i'll see and hear next time? -
Snoop_DoggChronic2001 — 12 years ago(June 02, 2013 12:08 AM)
The reason I think its not quite an "American Classic" is because its a movie person's/buff/expert/ movie. This movie has rave reviews etc but most those people are people who study film and want to go and follow a great story with great characters which this has. Hence why you see it in some film school's but most people stumble upon this movie from another movie buff or from you looking for great movies. Not because its a blockbuster or had huge stars or anything. But his is just my great opinion.
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Porn_Flakes — 11 years ago(November 06, 2014 01:12 PM)
I didn't realise until tonight that this film influenced a few of Sam Mendes' films, such as American Beauty and Road to Perdition.
For anyone interested, he did a great interview on his thoughts about the film: -
chas437 — 11 years ago(November 06, 2014 02:23 PM)
Interesting stuff, thanks. I agree with his assessment of Harry Dean Stanton's performance. Stanton and Kinski were magical. Its a shame that those performances aren't widely known and appreciated.
I'll take Punctuality