Paris, Texas
A hauntingly lyrical road movie painting a portrait of fractured memory and emotional desolation against the vast, indifferent canvas of the American Southwest.
Paris, Texas
Paris, Texas

"A place for dreams. A place for heartbreak. A place to pick up the pieces."

16 July 1984 United Kingdom 145 min ⭐ 8.1 (2,060)
Director: Wim Wenders
Cast: Harry Dean Stanton, Nastassja Kinski, Dean Stockwell, Hunter Carson, Aurore Clément
Drama
Alienation and Isolation The Fallibility of Memory and the Past The Myth of the American Dream Communication and its Failures
Budget: $1,750,000
Box Office: $2,181,987

Paris, Texas - Easter Eggs & Hidden Details

Easter Eggs

The film shares thematic and structural similarities with John Ford's classic 1956 Western, "The Searchers."

Both films feature a man who emerges from the wilderness after a long absence to reconnect with his family and rescue a female relative. This makes "Paris, Texas" a modern, more introspective take on the classic American Western, with Travis as a contemporary counterpart to John Wayne's Ethan Edwards.

The film's visual style, particularly the use of light and color in lonely, sparse settings, is heavily influenced by the paintings of American realist painter Edward Hopper.

This artistic homage enhances the film's themes of isolation and alienation in American life. Cinematographer Robby Müller's compositions often evoke the feeling of Hopper's work, which is known for its depictions of solitary figures in urban and rural environments.

The film has some resemblances to Wenders's earlier 1974 film, "Alice in the Cities."

Both films are road movies that feature a disillusioned man who forms an unlikely bond with a child and embarks on a journey of self-discovery. This recurring theme in Wenders's work highlights his fascination with American culture and the search for identity.