Paris, Texas, written by Sam Shepard and directed by Wim Wenders -9 out of 10

Paris, Texas, written by Sam Shepard and directed by Wim Wenders
9 out of 10


This is one of the best films that one can see, included among the Top Rated Movies and winner of the most important- more relevant than any Oscar - cinematic prize of all:

The Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival of 1984

The extraordinary Harry Dean Stanton has here the leading role - and it makes cinephiles wonder why he had this opportunity so seldom - of Travis Henderson.
This a man that has been severely affected by trauma - we would learn in the course of the film about the break up of his marriage, in spite of the deep love that he felt for his wife and she may have reciprocated- and in the first few scenes, he enters a bar, where he collapses and is then taken to see a Doctor- actually, it is vice versa, in his condition, the hero can see nothing and nobody.

His brother, Walt Henderson - played by another formidable artist, Dean Stockwell - is called and he comes to take his lost relative, that had been absent for the past years - was it four?
When Walt is absent, in town to buy new clothes and boots, for the footwear that the traveler has in his feet have big holes in them and have been used beyond their expiration date, the pilgrim is off again.

The puzzled brother takes the rented car and drives around, finding the bizarre Walker near the railway line, inviting him back in, but without much success in prompting his companion to talk, even when he emphasizes that this is going to be a long drive.
That is especially true when Travis refuses to fly in an aero plane and they have to go back to the rental agency and get the same car - they insist upon it - to travel for days and thousands of miles.

When they arrive home, Walt's wife, Anne, is worried that the boy they almost adopted, Hunter, would be lost to them as he reunites with Travis, his real father.
Hunter is confused by the new situation, and when his "new" parent comes to take him from school, he refuses to go, opting for a ride in a car.

Granted, this is America and the boy indicates that his father came on foot and nobody Walks!
Therefore, another time his prodigal parent tries to cut a better figure, dresses up, takes a Texan hat and does some funny tricks, walks in an amusing way, even hits a garbage bin by mistake.

They all watch some amateur films in which they were all happy, mother Jane included, played by the delicate, sensuous  Nastassja Kinski.
Talking with Anne, Travis learns that the estranged woman is sending money on each fifth of every month, depending on her financial status, she deposits a hundred dollars sometimes and at other times much less than that.

The hero decides to travel and find his wife and his son, who has bonded with him in the meantime, wants to come along.
When they start, Anne and Walt are very worried, indeed, panicked to find father and son missing.

However, the somewhat - or should we say completely irresponsible parent - tells Hunter to call the uncle and aunt that have been his protectors and emotional support for four years and tell them about their plan.
They wait outside the bank from where the money is sent, the boy at one exit and Travis at another, until Jane drives away and they start following, although for a good while, they are unsure if they chase the right car.

The psychologically traumatized woman works in the sex industry, so to say, in an outfit where men pay to watch employees wearing bizarre uniforms - one is dressed as a nurse and has a toy pony with her.
Travis has to come again, for the first conversation with the spouse that cannot see him when the light is on on her side of the window is not auspicious

The second time though, he starts telling a story...his narrative and this is when the public finds what happened and Jane understands that she listens to her husband.
The end is uncertain.

It looks like it could be sad, but given the outre characters, the return of the Prodigal Father, his consequent departure and then what happened between him and his son, maybe there is a chance for a bright future, even if this is not the kind of feature with...

They all lived happily  for ever after!