Paris, Texas / Digital Remastered

I go back to this movie often, like visiting an old dear friend. It’s exquisite. There is something so unique and beautiful about the silence, the music, the looks on their faces, the heartbreak of loving too hard and the loss of it eventually. I envy those who get to experience it for the first time.

Harry Dean Stanton, as usual, was just remarkable. The movie was heart wrenching while at the same time not at allcloying. Several people I talked to about it made the same mistake I made. "Yeah, I've seen it. Sybil Shepard, right?"No, that's Last Picture Show. Maybe the confusion comes from the fact that Sam Shepard wrote the screen play and they both reference small Texas towns. But this movie is beyond comparison to the other.

One of the few movies that doesn't earn or hold your attention beyond 15 or so. The lead character is so blah, ugly, and unlikable, I didn't care if he lived or died. So who cares about him and his sullen act. This failed to capture the audience. If you want to see a movie about West Texas that captures audience attention, by contrast, check out "No country for old men" instead. Rewatch it if you already saw it, because this movie is a ticket to boring ol' snoozeville.

I bought this quite a while ago, and didn't take a good look at the dvd case when it arrived. When I finally had time to relax and watch it, I realized it was a French language edition, which I did NOT order. This would have been okay if it was subtitled in English, or better still if like every DVD I've ever purchased before, there multiple language settings to choose from, but there were not. I'm wondering if this was actually a bootleg copy. It was too late to return this item, but shame on Amazon for mislabeling this product.

This is one of the best movies you can find. Slowly moving, fantastic, detailed camera work, great scenes and scenery, and a flashback to LA in the the 1980s. The actual story line is almost unimportant compared to the intense visuals and compassionate emotions of this movie. Must see, highly recommended. I do vaguely remember, though, that the original 1980s release had an exceedingly visual nude scene with Kinski, which may have been cut out for this Americanized version. Too bad.

A hauntingly sad movie with a confirmation that any man who is not more beautiful than the woman he chooses to love or helplessly falls in love with, has entered territory full of dragons, dangerous, exciting, and likely fatal. It's best to remember that dragons and mankind never did exist simultaneously.However, I have been permanently in love with Kinski ever since I saw this movie for the third time.

It seemed better in my memory than it did upon newly watching it, though it still has many interesting and satisfying moments. The ending is the least satisfying, perhaps explaining why I am not thrilled. Really liked the Burbank and Sun Valley area locales. Overlong for a film that ends in a rather unbelievable way, after some very powerful moments.

An incredible film and love story, but not in the traditional way. A mystery, but not a typical one of those, either. Staggeringly beautiful shots, perfect acting, a breathing script, and a story that feels alive in a plain, real way. Joy and sadness mingle in this dusty tale that feels as fresh as it must have decades ago. Must watch.

I hadn’t seen this for over 30 years and my memory of it was that it was long, slow and probably dull. With older eyes it’s a different film. It looks magnificent, particularly in Blu Ray, and the performance of Harry Dean Stanton is mesmeric. Give yourself plenty of time to watch this. It’s not something you can dip in and out of. So switch off your phone, close the door and make sure the dog has had it’s walk. Then sit back and be enthralled.

I was pretty obsessed with this film when it came out, and have watched it many times since. It’s a classic road movie, beautifully directed by the German Wim Wenders, and won many awards at independent festivals including best film at Cannes. A man called Travis (Harry Dean Stanton) emerges from the Texas desert after disappearing for four years and is reunited with his brother and wife who’ve been looking after Travis’s seven year old son Hunter in L.A. After some awkward bonding, Travis and Hunter set out on the road to find the estranged mother and wife (Nastassja Kinski) who now works in a Houston peep show booth. The booth has a one way screen so that the customer can’t be seen, and on his second visit Travis tells the story of their break-up through the connecting phone with a ten minute monologue of poetic beauty written by screenwriter, playwright, actor, and all round icon Sam Shepard, that is so moving you may want a very stiff drink afterwards. Kinski is also very moving in this scene; though she is basically just listening to a story she has to react to the words, and you see realization followed by pain and then tears. It is quite brilliant. Travis persuades his wife to be reunited with her son, but will he be able to join them? It is all very moving and also astonishing that Harry Dean Stanton, who had been well known for decades as a support actor, never won a single award for his once in a lifetime performance, probably because he didn’t have leading man looks and was a bit rough and raggedy. But those of us who care about such things, know that this is one of the greatest understated screen performances of modern times. Harry Dean Stanton died in 2017 aged 91 and most of the world didn’t even know who he was.

This review is for the 4K restoration edition of Paris Texas as pictured on this page. The film has never looked better, both image and sound are fantastic, so in many respects this could be a better purchase option than it's 'Criterion' counterpart. I should point out however that the film has the choice of English or German dialogue but there are no English subtitles and most of the extras are German language only (including the film-long director's commentary). This doesn't bother me too much, after all it's a German release, but it might be a decision changer for some prospective buyers.

In cinematic history it definitely has its place. Of note is an excellent opening. Ry Cooder's score in very hauntingly emblematic too (although perhaps a little more variation could have been introduced). Somehow, however, we felt the movie didn't reach the heights a winner of Palme d'Or suggests - many of that status have been much better in our view. It has connections with French and Italian cinema; however, French film makers have been doing this atmospheric genre tremendously well for years and perhaps this, in being an American setting, didn't have the atmosphere of a foreign language setting. Also, it was made in 1983, and it might well be that the surge in cinematography since that time has made this look less impressive. All in all, watching in 2020, we felt in needed more editing - some things seemed too long (especially the penultimate scene), but other things seemed not gradual enough. As I say, it might be an ageing process - either it or us.

Liked this unusual story of a man walking out of a texan desert with little idea of how he got there.Its a slow story ,well acted,great cinematography by Robbie Muller,and Ry Cooder glides in with his inimatable guitar work.One of Wenders best.This is a superb blue ray print, and you can watch it in English only by going to Sprachen/ Ton,and selecting AUS, then select film.Unfortunately for English speakers Wenders audio commentry extras is in German.Still recomended tho.....