Paris, Texas
I was stoked that this was chosen for me because I'd wanted to see it for a long time. I guess it was mostly based on perception and who had said what about it, because I really didn't know anything about it. It was my 4th movie from director Wim Wenders after Wings of Desire which made my docs list, The American Friend which was terrific, and The Million Dollar Hotel which wasn't very good. Paris, Texas is the best of the bunch.
It's always fun to watch older movies and see actors you like, in this case Harry Dean Stanton and Dean Stockwell, in their prime. They and the rest of the cast were excellent. This movie is a slow burn as we get to know the characters and their pasts, and it works. It becomes more and more emotionally moving. I didn't totally buy the amount of trauma suffered in relation to the incident, and there were a couple of moments that made me go hmmm. That's what stopped me from seeing this as the masterpiece I was hoping for, but it was still a great movie. Despite the somber mood and story, it felt good watching it and it's hard to explain why. It felt very human and relatable. A big plus is how the movie looked and in that regard it definitely gets a 10/10. Most of the movie merely looks right, but here and there the viewer gets these stunning shots even though they are mostly of mundane things. Very happy to have finally seen it.
No guess as to who nominated it?!
There weren't a ton of options to choose from since you've already checked off so many entries on the lists, but this and
Ran were the two that immediately stood out. (I also briefly considered
Mystery Train but remembered that you don't jive with Jarmusch.) Went with
Paris, Texas since I thought it'd be more likely to strike an emotional chord with you. (At the very least you should be able to relate to a guy marrying a hot blonde way out of his league
. I also know you've been through some dark times in the past that I'm sure put a strain on your marriage, though I don't recall you ever mentioning anything about becoming a mute and wandering aimlessly across the Texas desert.) I'm glad someone else ultimately chose
Ran for you as I think it's Kurosawa's second best after
Seven Samurai.
I hadn't watched
Paris, Texas in close to a decade, but I gave it a long overdue revisit yesterday after noticing that you'd posted about it. Still think it's an incredible film. As you mentioned, the movie looks amazing. The European, American name of the title/symbolic town within the film is very appropriate, as this is distinctly a road movie across America with a European behind the wheel. It's great to see Harry Dean Stanton lead a movie since he's almost always limited to supporting characters. Nastassja Kinski knocks her scenes out of the park (and it continually baffles me that the odd-looking Klaus Kinski could produce someone so gorgeous). I also think the kid delivers a nice, natural performance. The relaxed pace is a perfect complement to Stanton's character. I'd never paid attention before that Sam Shepard wrote the script, so that was a cool detail to discover.
Curious which moments made you go "hmmm." I think the entire film is great, but the big emotional unveiling between Stanton and Kinski with the one-sided mirror separating them is the scene that elevates it to another level for me. I can understand why you wouldn't fully buy the trauma, but to me it feels earned. Stanton's monologue reveals everything we need to know. I can somewhat relate to what he's experienced having been the obsessive, jealous, controlling one in a relationship, and even though my version is far less dramatic, it was nonetheless traumatizing for me. I carried within me a lot of personal shame and disgust for years afterward, and I avoided relationships because I was afraid that same part of me might reemerge. So just extrapolating my experience with the characters, Stanton's fugue state that opens the film, although certainly extreme, doesn't seem too crazy to me. No matter how far he travels, he can't escape his biggest enemy: himself. I also find the ending extremely powerful. When Stanton first visits her at the peep show, he's unable to control a burst of jealous anger. And in that moment any notion of getting back together as a family is quashed. He realizes he can't trust himself not to revert to his old ways. I find it both tragic and poignant.
Anyways, beautiful film. I'm glad you thought highly of it.
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