We’ll always have “Paris, Texas.”
Or at least we will as long as the excellent Criterion Collection DVD version is available. Released in early 2010, this two-disc set presented the usual DVD extras such as commentaries, interviews and deleted scenes, but the real treasure here is the clear, bright transfer of the film itself. The images are as crisp as one could expect from a movie originally released in 1984.
“Paris, Texas” is the story of Travis, who has been wandering the American Southwest for four years after a schism that tore him and his family (his wife and toddler son) apart. Harry Dean Stanton delivers a brilliant portrayal of Travis; in quite a few frames here, the actor manages to be brooding and loveable at the same time. Dean Stockwell plays Travis’s brother Walt, who, after Travis is found, tries to ease him back into the social herd.
As a film, “Paris, Texas” tries to be many things – and succeeds at all of them. It’s a road movie. It’s a buddy (or brother) movie. It’s a family saga, a psychological study, and a tear-jerker that never descends into the maudlin.
First-time viewers beware: It’s also fairly slow-paced. But the stunning cinematography, along with Ry Cooder’s spare but effective music, wins the day.