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Blu-Ray : Highly Recommended
Ranking:
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Release Date: January 26th, 2010 Movie Release Year: 1984

Paris, Texas

Overview -

German New Wave pioneer Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire) brings his keen eye for landscape to the American Southwest in Paris, Texas, a profoundly moving character study written by Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Sam Shepard. Paris, Texas follows the efforts of the mysterious, nearly mute drifter Travis (a magnificent Harry Dean Stanton, whose face is a landscape of its own) to reconnect with his young son, living with his brother (Dean Stockwell) in Los Angeles, and his missing wife (Nastassja Kinski). From this simple setup, Wenders and Shepard produce a powerful statement on codes of masculinity and the myth of the American family, as well as an exquisite visual exploration of a vast, crumbling world of canyons and neon.

OVERALL:
Highly Recommended
Rating Breakdown
STORY
VIDEO
AUDIO
SPECIAL FEATURES
Tech Specs & Release Details
Technical Specs:
Region A Locked
Video Resolution/Codec:
1080p/AVC MPEG-4
Length:
147
Aspect Ratio(s):
1.78:1
Audio Formats:
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround Sound
Subtitles/Captions:
English
Special Features:
Excerpts from the 1990 film Motion and Emotion: The Road to “Paris, Texas”
Release Date:
January 26th, 2010

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Ranking:

Some movies are so delicate and emotionally nuanced that just talking about them runs the risk of them losing some of their power.

Such is the case with Wim Wender's 'Paris, Texas.' It's a work of panoramic beauty, one which chronicles the actual landscape, but also the landscape of the human heart. And as cheesy and forced as this sounds, it's absolutely true.

'Paris, Texas,' written by Sam Shepherd, is the story of Travis Henderson (Harry Dean Stanton), a loner and drifter with obvious psychological and emotional issues, who resurfaces after a four year absence. Where has he been? Nobody knows. But his brother Walt (Dean Stockwell) picks him up from the dusty plains of Texas and drives him back to Los Angeles. While Travis remains mostly mute, he does reveal that he's purchased a small piece of land in Paris, Texas. Paris, Texas is where Walt and Travis' parents first made love. It's where Travis hopes to one day settle down.

Once back in Los Angeles, Travis is reintroduced to his young son, Hunter (Hunter Carson), who has no memories of his father and only knows what his uncle and aunt (Aurore Clément) tell him. Walt has been taking care of Hunter since Travis' disappearance and he treats Hunter like his son. Which makes things even harder when Travis more or less abducts Hunter and the two of them set out, back to Texas, to reunite with Hunter's mom, (Nastassja Kinksi).

This is a slow burn of a movie. It's deliberately paced and takes its time getting to wherever it's getting. Winders photographs the topography of the American southwest like he's chronicling some distant moon. Panoramas take up the entire frame and you'll have to force your jaw from coming unhinged at the sheer, magnetic beauty of everything you're taking in.

And the setting of the movie helps to inform our understanding of Travis, a man, like much of the landscape, which seems to be devoid of much personality (of anything, really) but which is endlessly rich and complicated. Without the juxtaposition of Travis the character and the geographic landscape-as-Travis'-internal-landscape, much of the movie's power would be lost.

This is even more impressive considering Wenders is a German director and that he's able to mesh his sophisticated European sensibilities to a landscape as rough-and-tumble as this. But man oh man does it work. And the way that the movie builds, with subtlety and with an air of anxiety, towards Travis being reunited with Hunter's mother, is peerlessly delivered.

Additionally, all the performances in 'Paris, Texas,' are simply staggering. In particular, Harry Dean Stanton does a remarkable job as Travis, a man who barely talks but has to hold virtually the entire emotional weight of the movie on his shoulders. And young Hunter Carson must deliver one of the best child performances ever. It doesn't ever feel like hammy child acting. It feels 100 percent real. And, of course, Dean Stockwell and Nastassja Kinski, in smaller supporting roles, shine with the little screen time they do possess.

This is a gorgeous, absolutely absorbing movie that should not be missed. Those accustomed to more frantically paced material might have their patience tried, but I plead with you: stick it out. You won't be sorry. Between the performances, the photography, and Ry Cooder's unforgettable score, 'Paris, Texas' is a one-of-a-kind experience that you'll want to treasure like the delicate thing it is.

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

'Paris, Texas,' is a 50GB disc that is Region "A" locked. It is part of the Criterion Collection, spine #501. Being a Criterion title, it is also housed in the fatter chunky box.

Video Review

Ranking:

'Paris, Texas'' MPEG-4 AVC 1080p transfer (aspect ratio 1.78:1) is just gorgeous. On previous home video versions of this movie, I've wondered what it could look like if it was really cleaned up and taken care of. I now wonder no more.

According to the disc's accompanying booklet (more on that in a minute): "Supervised and approved by director Wim Wenders, this new high-definition digital transfer was created on a Spirit Datacine from the original 35 mm camera negative. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, warps, jitter and flicker were manually removed using MTI's DRS system and Pixel Farm's PFClean system, while Digital Vision's DVNR system was used for small dirt, grain, and noise reduction."

I'm pretty sure that translates into something along the lines of "Whoomp, there it is." This thing is just gorgeous. Colors really, finally pop, skin tones look marvelous, and the panoramic views of the landscapes look as real and intoxicating as anything on Pandora. A fine layer of film adds to the presentation, rather than taking away anything. Whether you've seen 'Paris, Texas' a thousand times or this is your first go-around, your jaw will drop. This is reference-quality stuff.

Additionally, there are no technical issues to speak of (despite the use of the word 'noise reduction' there are no telltale signs) and no major instances of dirt or debris on the transfer. It's just a solid transfer, through and through, one that makes this gorgeous movie look like a million bucks.

Audio Review

Ranking:

The disc comes equipped with an equally gorgeous DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. It's the only audio option on the disc. Thankfully, it's so good that there isn't really a need for another audio option.

Again, from the booklet: "Presented in a surround format, the soundtrack was remixed under the supervision of the director using the original audio stems. Clicks, thumps, hiss and hum were manually removed using Pro Tools HD."

A lot of the power of 'Paris, Texas' comes from its atmosphere, which this track delivers. There are precious few sequences with dialogue (until the film's emotionally wrought climax), but that said, the dialogue that's here is crisp and clean and well prioritized. But the main draw here is Ry Cooder's amazing score. And it's never sounded better than it does here. Prepare to swoon.

There are subtle moments of immersion in the track, and overall everything sounds wonderful. There are no detectable technical issues or audio track issues like pops or hiss. Just great.

Also included are optional English subtitles.

Special Features

Ranking:

The extras included on the Blu-ray disc are also included in the standard definition DVD released at the same time. The only difference is the inclusion here of the "Timeline" feature, which is standard on all the Blu-ray Criterion releases.

  • Commentary by Wim Wenders This commentary is incredibly technical, sometimes at the expense of entertainment value, but Wenders is still engaging throughout, and not just because he has a funny accent.
  • Wim Wenders (HD, 28:59) This is an interview conducted by German journalist Roger Willemsen in 2001. In it, they talk about the director's considerable work and in particular 'Paris, Texas' and how Wenders considered it his "second film" (it was his thirteenth in actuality). This is well worth watching.
  • The Road to Paris, Texas (HD, 43) This is a wonderful collection of interviews, conducted by Paul Joyce in 1989. It features Wenders, cinematographer Robby Muller, composer Ry Cooder, Harry Dean Stanton, Peter Falk, Dennis Hopper, Hanns Zischler, author Patricia Highsmith and film critic Kraft Wetzel. But my favorite quote came from director Sam Fuller who proclaimed – "He can be very slow but the mood is going like a fire!" Well said, Sam. Well said.
  • Clair Denis and Allison Anders (HD) This is broken down into two sections – Claire Denis (20:28), talking with the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Kent Jones and Allison Anders (25:55), reading aloud from her diary she kept during the film's production. They both worked on the film and now both have substantial film careers. It's interesting to hear their thoughts from the time and how working on the film helped shaped the artists they are today.
  • Cinema Cinemas (HD, 12:20) This is a really interesting bit from a French television program called 'Cinema Cinemas.' The segment, called "Wim Wenders Hollywood April '84" shows some compelling behind-the-scenes footage of Wenders as he works on the score for 'Paris, Texas' with Ry Cooder. Really great stuff, this is in French with English subtitles.
  • Deleted Scenes (HD, 23:38) This collection of rough deleted scenes features optional commentary by Wim Wenders. This stuff is more a curiosity more than anything else and is one of the lesser features on the disc.
  • Super 8 Footage (HD, 7) This is a collection of panoramic super 8 mm footage, set to Ry Cooder's music. This is a nice distraction but nothing deep or meaningful or particularly insightful.
  • Galleries There are two photo galleries located within. The first, "Written in the West," contains photos from Wim Wenders' trek through Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California. You get to see many landmarks and locations that eventually ended up in the movie; pretty interesting stuff. The second one, "Robin Holland," is a collection of photos from the film's unit photographer; also worth checking out.
  • Trailer (HD, 2:13) Doesn't really do the movie justice. Another curiosity, and one you can easily skip.
  • Booklet This is one of the thicker, meatier Criterion bookets to come along in the while. Contained within its whopping 48 pages is an essay called "On the Road Again" by Nick Roddick, regular contributor to Sight & Sound; interviews with Sam Shepherd, Nastassja Kinksi, Harry Dean Stanton, and Dean Stockwell; photographs; and an except from Wim Wenders' book. All worth, at the very least, thumbing through

Wim Wenders' 'Paris, Texas' is a haunting film of endless melancholia. It will stay with you long after you turn it off. It's also one of the more beautiful movies you'll ever see, with stunning performances and equally stunning photography. This Blu-ray presentation is absolutely great, with peerless audio and video and a healthy selection of truly insightful extras. Those of you who were either brought up on or have grown accustomed to the quick-cutting editorial styling of people like Michael Bay may be disappointed by the film's deliberate pace but hang in there. This is one road trip worth taking.