Runtime: 145 minutes
Directed by: Wim Wenders
Starring: Harry Dean Stanton (RIP), Nastassja Kinski, Dean Stockwell, Aurore Clement, Hunter Carson
From: Several European companies
As you'll read below, I picked the right film to watch in order to pay tribute to a great actor I'll miss:
I figured this was a great way to pay tribute to a great actor who sadly passed away yesterday. I can also tip my cap to the late Sam Shepard, the writer of this script who died a few months ago. I went with a great movie involving Harry Dean Stanton which I had not reviewed here before; that is why I did not go with something like Alien, for example.
I don't want to reveal too much of the plot... Stanton walking around the desert wearing a dirty ratty suit and a faded red cap-which thankfully did not say Make America Great Again-is certainly a memorable way to open a picture. He is found in the desert (the southernmost part of Texas, to be exact), a mute who has to be picked up by his brother Dean Stockwell and transported to Los Angeles. Stanton is outstanding in the role of Travis Henderson, saying a lot even when he's not saying a word. Even once he starts talking again, you get as frustrated as his brother in how he won't talk about why he vanished for 4 years and left behind both a much younger wife (Nastassja Kinski) and a young son, Hunter.
The movie is patient and takes its time in unfurling the story. As you get acquainted with Travis and he gets reacquainted with his brother, his bro's wife, and Hunter (who his bro ended up adopting), more of his backstory is revealed, and you get to see that he is a character who definitely has his flaws and is still fascinating and even though some of his past actions weren't good, he is not someone I ever rooted against.
There is tremendous filmmaking all around, from the story to the direction by Wim Wenders, the cinematography by Robby Muller, the sparse score from Ry Cooder; the movie is tremendous in the first two acts as Travis has to become human again by rebuilding various relationships. The final act, though, is stunning. Travis is trying to fix things and it culminates in a long scene. This scene has very long takes and is full of dialogue. Yet, because of what was said, how it was delivered, and the performances of Harry Dean and the other person in the scene (it was just as much their facial expressions as what they were saying) that it becomes masterful and elevates this to a classic. The cast as a whole does a pretty good job and even the child actor is more than satisfactory, but it's Stanton and his partner in that epic scene which are the standouts.
I've seen some of his movies throughout the years, but I never saw him as great as he was here, and it is the film overall and not just the late Harry Dean Stanton that makes this a must-see.
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