《巴黎德州》的評論 Part 2 by Rey Bianchi

Wim Wenders' Paris Texas (1984) (Part 2)

(commentary by Rey Bianchi (Wen Huei-Min), NCCU English Dept (retired))

Jane had isolated herself, partly because Travis had treated her so badly, yes, but also partly because she realized that she herself was one of the causes of the tragedy between herself and her husband. She ran too. She had never worked, so she felt she didn't have the means nor the maturity to care for Hunter.

Hunter was isolated by force of circumstances: that's where he found himself, with no real father o mother around...he accepted it, cause Walt and Anne were so good to him, but there was something missing. He didn't know what it was until his father came back. Even after his father came back, he couldn't know until they spent some time together. When Travis the Traveler said he was going to find Jane, Hunter thehunter said "what about me? I want togo too!....When are we going to go?

The big questions of the movie, which sentimental people ask are: why didn't Travis stay with his family? and Why leave Jane and Hunter alone?

Every one must answer these questions in his/her own heart. My answer (and only mine) is that he couldn't. He pretty much gave the answer in the tape recording to his son. He was afraid. Don't forget he had been away for 4 years, and before that had made a mess of his marriage. He had had no intention of going back to his family, and when he tried to fit in, tried to be a father again, when he re-discovered and loved his son "more than anything in the world," he was afraid. What would happen if he stayed with Jane and Hunter?...would the "real" Travis come out again? Out in the desert had he been planning to make a better life for himself in the future? No. He was running away from himself, and when he came back, he knew himself well enough that he still couldn't trust himself. He knew that much (we can see his effort at trying to find a "perfect" way to live when he polished and arranged the shoes so well, and when he tried to dress so well as a father should. But these ways were superficial).

If i ask will he find himself and go back to be with his family, i have missed the point. The writer/director gives no information about this. No two people will play out the plot of their lives in the same way. Oh, we can influence one another. Anne influenced Travis a lot by telling him where Jane could be found. And influences do change lives. It's interesting to note that in Anne's case, when trying to get rid of Travis so he wouldn't spend so much time with Hunter, she lost Hunter.

Jane. Jane is Hebrew for "God is gracious." Despite the sleezy type of work that Jane found herself in (we call it a "peep show" in English), she was working in what could be called a relatively harmless type of service. Whether she really helped men or not is again beside the point. The point for the author (to me) is that "every man's voice was your (Travis') voice." Every man who came to talk to her ("I'll listen. I have lots of time") was lost. It was too late, but in some way she was still trying to save Travis - to be gracious -through helping other men. Was she herself still lost? Well, you'll have to think about that....

Not seeing them was good. It was not important. She heard listened to, their voices. When Travis told his story to Jane, he didn't look at her. When Jane told her story to travis, she didn't look at him. The author is showing that the body is not always important in communication (I'll just take off my sweater." "No, no, no, no, no, no! don't"). It is the voice, the word which communicated. Jane was available to listen, to be there, to patiently be of service....this i believe is why Travis felt that Jane was ready to be a mother again.


(本文作者為國立政治大學英文系退休教授 Rey Bianchi )