Wandering in the desert
In Paris, Texas, Wim Wenders potrays the difficulty and necessity of human connection
Paris, Texas
Written by Sam Shephard
Directed by Wim Wenders
1984
“I can’t even hardly remember what happened. It’s like a gap. It left me alone in a way that I haven’t gotten over...”
A man walks out of the desert and it’s as if everything about him—his name, his memory, his past—has been burned away by the sun and desert heat.
What happens when a German director crosses paths with a uniquely American playwright known for his absurdist turns and western locales? You get a strange and haunting film called “Paris, Texas.” Directed by Wim Wenders from a script by actor and playwright Sam Shepard, the film touches upon the alienation of modern American life: the vast, open land and big cities make it easy to get lost, not only physically, but spiritually. It has a strange rhythm, perhaps due to the influence of its European director. Events seem to play out organically, and you’re not always sure what’s going to happen next. But the characters are so interesting that you’re willing to go along for the ride.
We meet Travis (Harry Dean Stanton) as he emerges from the Texas desert, and he’s a shell of a man, lost in more ways than one. The fact that he’s alive at all is a big surprise for his brother, Walt (Dean Stockwell) and Walt’s wife, Anne (Aurore Clement), because Travis has been missing for almost four years. Walt and Anne have taken in his seven year old son, Hunter (Hunter Carson) and raised him as their own after Travis’ wife Jane also disappeared.
After Walt comes to fetch him, Travis uneasily joins the family in L.A., slowly coming back to life. It’s like he’s been off on another planet for those four years, and he’s learning how to be a person again. He’s also trying to reconnect with his son. Wary at first, Hunter’s slowly won over by Travis’ persistence. Anne and Walt watch with sympathy and more than a little fear, because they’re afraid of losing the boy they love.
And then, Travis decides that he needs to find Jane and runs off with Hunter to track her down. They find her somewhere in Texas, working in a sleazy peep show, one of those places where girls perform from behind a window and the men watch in the dark. In a breathtakingly intimate scene, Travis recounts to Jane his pain and regret over their ruptured marriage and the time they’ve lost. And he leaves her an unexpected gift.
That scene works because of Harry Dean Stanton, a character actor who pops up all the time in memorable supporting roles (currently seen on “Big Love” as Roman Grant). Stanton’s utterly convincing as Travis. His expressive, weather-beaten face and quiet, laid back voice inspire tremendous sympathy while hinting at a hidden darkness. Nastassja Kinski’s Jane is captivating as well: her presence hangs over the early scenes, even though she’s only talked about (and seen briefly in a home movie from happier times). When she shows up in the flesh in the second half of the film, Kinski gives a terrific performance (despite a shaky Texas accent), effortlessly communicating pain through her sad eyes as she reacts to Stanton.
The title implies that the film might take place in Paris, Texas, but no scenes are set there. The only time we see the town is in a snapshot that Travis carries of a vacant lot, a piece of land he purchased by mail. It’s where Travis was born, but it’s also a place of spiritual redemption and renewal. It represents the hope that maybe, just maybe, Travis can make amends, putting the pieces of his life back together and making his family whole again.
German director Wenders studied painting and philosophy before becoming enthralled with cinema and forging a career as a director. His fascination with American culture made him a perfect match for a writer like Sam Shepard, creator of distinctively American plays with themes of desolation and broken connections. Together, they produced something with naturalistic feel that’s not purely American or European. It’s an intriguing mix of the two.
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