PARIS, TEXAS

I saw this Wim Wenders film in the cinema when it came out in 1984 but it made so little impact on me that before this rewatch I had no idea as to the plot, and it turned out that I had completely erased from my memory two of the five major characters.  

I guess this speaks to the amorphous nature of the story, such as it is, and the fact that there are very few scenes of high drama, and that the ending is also rather open-ended.

It's also the case that Travis, the lead character (played by Harry Dean Stanton), is opaque and difficult to get a handle on.

At the start of the film he just appears in the Texan wilderness, with no explanation as to how he got there or why.  Eventually we learn that four years previously he had simply disappeared, leaving behind his wife Jane and and his young son Hunter, but we never get an explanation as to what we was doing in the interim, or why initially he doesn't speak, even to his brother Walt (Dean Stockwell) who collects him.

We just have to accept that he is traumatised to some degree.

The two characters I had forgotten are Hunter, and Marie, Walt's wife (Aurore Clément), which is weird considering that on this watch I found them to be the most sympathetic.  

Jane also skedaddled quite soon after Travis disappeared, leaving Walt and Marie to become parents to Hunter, now eight years old.  Walt and Marie have the difficult job of helping Hunter get to know his biological father, whilst loving him as their own child.

Travis, a frustrating character if ever there was one, went way down in my estimation when he and Hunter just shoot off, without saying any goodbyes, to try to find Jane.  Walt and Marie are not given any consideration, and in fact after a distressing phone conversation between Marie and Hunter they just disappear from the film.

The final scenes, between Travis and Jane (a memorable performance by Nastassja Kinski), are the best in the film in terms of dramatic interest, and do lead to an ending which is emotionally satisfying although I didn't get why Travis (frustrating to the end) has to leave.

All the actors deliver, especially a young Hunter Carson as Hunter, the film looks great (hats off to the cinematographer Robby Müller), Ry Cooder's score is just the ticket, and the relationship between Travis and Hunter is handled beautifully (credit to the cowriters Sam Shepard and LM Kit Carson).

But despite all these plus points, overall I found it an unsatisfying viewing experience, and I doubt I shall ever want to watch it again.