OH MAN! This was pretty good! I don't watch too much Wim Wenders. I don't really know about his OEUVRE or anything. I mostly was interested in this because it's leading man is HARRY DEAN STANTON! I mean, that man is never the lead protagonist! He's usually the "Old Man" or something. The film features some beautiful shots of the American landscape though. And talks of abandoned lots. It made me miss the Highway. I would probably say the cinematography was the most impressive aspects of the film. The story, a father reuiniting with his son isn't corny by any means but I didn't feel exactly blown away by it. I mean, it's masterfully done, it still held up in today's standards. I feel like I'm being a little unfair to the story now because it really is quite good and doesn't feel cliche. But I think the real strong point is the cinematography. There really are some damn nice shots in this movie. And Stanton pulls his weight. As the kind of centerpiece of the film, he's capable of carrying through with some real meaning through silence, which is nice to see. Kinski is pretty fucking captivating of an actress. I do have to admit that it was her looks that pulled me in. But she definitely can channel some intensity. Her scenes are mostly in a small room with a double sided mirror, creating a little tableau with her as the centerpiece. The climax is really pretty neat, involving her listening to Stanton tell her the story of his/their past but we only see her and his voice fucking PROJECTS. And her face is doing ALL KINDS of emotions. Also the script is written by Sam Shepard, a personal favorite of mine. I didn't realize this at the time. The film has plenty of Shepard trademarks. Deserts, rants about destruction, brothers. I ate all that up. I guess, I wonder where Wenders mark on this film is. I'm trying to connect this and Wings of Desire in my head, which I'm sure isn't exactly what I should be doing, trying to find Wenders somewhere between the two. But it's just not happening!
Kinski relaxing between shots. AHHHHHAHAHA- Oh wait.
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