Paris, Texas (4K): Criterion Collection Review

Paris, Texas, spine #501, is now available on 4K in the Criterion Collection.

Wim Wenders sprawling masterpiece receives a well-deserved 4K update this month from the Criterion Collection. Part mystery, part neo-western and part road trip movie, Paris, Texas is a beautiful depiction of love, loss and the American west.

Paris, Texas plot

Travis Henderson (Harry Dean Stanton) wonders out of the desert after being missing for years. He seemingly has no idea who he is or where he’s been. He’s reunited with his brother, Walt (Dean Stockwell), whose been raising Travis’ young son. Travis’ surprising reappearance causes the lives of those around him to be thrown into disarray as he slowly begins to piece his former life back together.

The review

The cinematography, consisting of wide shots, vacant landscapes and minimalist imagery, gives Paris, Texas a distinct visual style that perfectly compliments the mysterious and emotional core of its story. Cinematographer Robby Müller frequently collaborated with filmmaker Wim Wender, including on the 1977 classic The American Friend. It’s a pairing that works flawlessly, especially with Paris, Texas’ contemplative nature.

I’d always associated Harry Dean Stanton with Alien. Of course he was an accomplished actor with an impressive filmography spanning decades, but Alien was the film of his that I’d seen the most. It was also the first movie that I ever saw him in. But after watching Paris, Texas that will likely change forever. Harry Dean Stanton brings a subtlety and nuance to the role of Travis. There’s a mystery about him and where he’s been, but despite his apparent social detachment he’s a character that is easy to instantly connect with.

The story is incredibly simplistic, despite the strange and unexplainable mystery at its center. Through its simplicity it effectively tackles heavy subject matter like loss, regret and heartbreak while simultaneously asking the question: Is it ever too late to fix the errors of your past? The shots are long, far longer than the typical fast paced edits modern audiences are accustom to. In these long, extended takes, audiences held in the same space and time as Travis.

The moments that we see Travis reconnect with his loved ones are the most effective. Little by little, piece by piece, we begin to understand what Travis’ life was like before his disappearance. His fractured existence becomes clearer and the cause of his eventual unraveling becomes easier to understand. It’s a meditation on failure and the repercussions of those failures accomplished through the simplest and most beautiful means possible.

The Special Features

The release features an audio commentary from filmmaker Wim Wenders, as well as archival interviews with Wenders, cinematographer Robby Müller, composer Ry Cooder, actors Harry Dean Stanton, Dennis Hopper, Peter Falk, and Hanns Zischler, novelist Patricia Highsmith and filmmaker Samuel Fuller (White Dog).

Also included are Super 8 home videos, deleted scenes, location-scouting photos, behind the scenes photos and more!

Would I recommend this purchase? Absolutely. This is an exciting new edition to my physical media collection.

Is it worth a blind buy? Yes, depending on your tastes. I went into this viewing blind and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Purchase your copy of Paris, Texas on 4K from the Criterion Collection here.