Paris, Texas

a film by Wim Wenders
score by Ry Cooder

I first saw Paris, Texas in the dying years of the Soviet Union, before the film became a cult classic. I loved its slow pace, the dreamy landscapes and, of course, the music. Rewatching it now in Filmoteca de Cantabria, I’ve realised how little I remembered of the movie though. The opening sequence, yes; a powerful performance by the great late Harry Dean Stanton (but not his name); the booth scenes with Nastassja Kinski (and her name); and the “rich father, poor father” bit. Since the version I watched in Moscow 30+ years ago was voiced-over, I didn’t appreciate at the time that the dialogue in the latter scene was a mix of English and Spanish. What a happy rediscovery.