Paris, Texas (1984)
I'd been meaning to watch this movie for sometime now; and in the middle of the COVID-19 quarantine, I thought, what better to watch than a movie from the year 1984 itself?
The way it's been shot, I couldn't take my eyes away. I wanted to drink in everything- the desolation, the fugue, the dissociation, and more than that, the immense humanity of the movie. The perfection of Harry Dean Stanton's acting made me want to scream at times, with emotions that I can't quite describe. I was also deeply moved by all the other performances- Dean Stockwell as Travis' loving yet sometimes understandably frustrated brother Walter; Aurore Clément as Anne, Walter's wife, probably one of the most superbly drawn characters of the movie; Hunter Carson as Hunter, Travis and Jane's child who has been brought up by Walter and Anne; and of course, Nastassja Kinski as Travis' estranged wife Jane. I honestly did not have a lot of expectations from Jane- I suspected that she would be the stereotype of the younger woman marries an older man and wants fReeDoM, but god no. No. It was so much more than that, and the way her story is told in the climax, it made me think hard about isolation, loneliness, and the void inside us that gets exacerbated with everything that happens to us.
As a literature student, indeed, as a literature enthusiast, I have often had to think about the "great American novel". Watching this movie, I realised that if there is to be an "American movie", this is it. From the breathtaking shots of the desert, to the fact that this was a co-production between French and German companies, this felt like the most American movie to me that I have ever watched. And probably will ever watch.
A quick word about the soundtrack- it's ethereal and haunting. Comforting yet sinister at the same time. Elevates the movie to the cinematic masterpiece that it is.
Also, I'd give anything to find out what happened to the characters after the end. Especially Anne and Walter.
The way it's been shot, I couldn't take my eyes away. I wanted to drink in everything- the desolation, the fugue, the dissociation, and more than that, the immense humanity of the movie. The perfection of Harry Dean Stanton's acting made me want to scream at times, with emotions that I can't quite describe. I was also deeply moved by all the other performances- Dean Stockwell as Travis' loving yet sometimes understandably frustrated brother Walter; Aurore Clément as Anne, Walter's wife, probably one of the most superbly drawn characters of the movie; Hunter Carson as Hunter, Travis and Jane's child who has been brought up by Walter and Anne; and of course, Nastassja Kinski as Travis' estranged wife Jane. I honestly did not have a lot of expectations from Jane- I suspected that she would be the stereotype of the younger woman marries an older man and wants fReeDoM, but god no. No. It was so much more than that, and the way her story is told in the climax, it made me think hard about isolation, loneliness, and the void inside us that gets exacerbated with everything that happens to us.
As a literature student, indeed, as a literature enthusiast, I have often had to think about the "great American novel". Watching this movie, I realised that if there is to be an "American movie", this is it. From the breathtaking shots of the desert, to the fact that this was a co-production between French and German companies, this felt like the most American movie to me that I have ever watched. And probably will ever watch.
A quick word about the soundtrack- it's ethereal and haunting. Comforting yet sinister at the same time. Elevates the movie to the cinematic masterpiece that it is.
Also, I'd give anything to find out what happened to the characters after the end. Especially Anne and Walter.
Thank you for this review. My all time favourite film ��
ReplyDeletethank you so much for your lovely comment. :)
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