Directed by
Wim Wenders
France / Germany / USA 2005
Twenty years after PARIS, TEXAS, Wim Wenders and screenwriter Sam Shepard reunite, and fans disappointed with the consistency of Wenders' more recent output are sure to love this gentle, surprisingly beautiful tale of a troubled Hollywood cowboy who pulls together a family from the debris of his past. Riding his horse off the Utah set of cheesy western aptly titled "Phantom of the West" in a fit of self-disgust, western wash-up Howard Spence (Shepard, giving a marvelous performance) boards a bus for Elko, Nevada, where is mother (Eva Marie Saint), whom he hasn't seen since leaving for Hollywood more than 30 years earlier, now lives. Dogged by the private detective (Tim Roth) hired by "Phantom"'s producers to drag their star back to Utah Howard hides out in the basement, where his mother has recreated his childhood bedroom and conveniently left our her scrapbook filled with tabloid clippings chronicling all that Howard's been up to since leaving home: drug busts, bar fights, DUI car crashes, allegedly pregnant Playmates. After a night of hellraising in Elko's casinos ends in a jail cell, Howard's mother tells him about the long-ago visit she had from a young woman from Butte, Montana, who claimed he was the father of her son. Howard's stunned: He had no idea he had child. Mom hands Howard the keys his dad's vintage car and, with no set purpose in mind, Howard heads to Montana. He finds Doreen (Jessica Lange, with a new and immobile face), the woman he'd romanced all those years ago while shooting a movie in Butte, exactly where he left her: at the M & M bar and grill, although now she's running of the place. Pointing out the young man performing dark, morose rock tunes at another local bar, Doreen tells him the man on stage is their son, Earl (Gabriel Mann); the whiny young woman on his arm is his girlfriend (Fairuza Balk). In a flash of recognition, Howard can sense in Earl the same kind of emptiness and fear that's driven him much of his life, but Earl wants nothing to do with a guy who couldn't be bothered to stick around long enough to meet his own son. Watching this whole drama unfold is Sky (Sarah Polley), a young woman who recently arrived in Butte toting the ashes of her recently deceased mother. Sky also recognizes something of herself in Howard, and she should: She's Howard's daughter. Once again Wenders' darkly romantic view of the American west dovetails beautifully with Shepard's own interior landscape, in which lost fathers — and in this case, sheltering mothers — loom large as the mesas in the psyches of the their abandoned sons. Beautifully shot in rich colors by Franz Lustig, it's possibly Wenders' most accessible film to date, and among his most emotionally satisfying.
Excerpt from Ken Fox's review at TV Guide located HERE
Posters
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Theatrical Release: May 19th, 2005 - Cannes Film Festival
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Comparison:
Sony (short version) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Cinema Mondo / Pan Vision - Region 2 - PAL vs. Sony (short version) - Region 2,4,5 - PAL vs. Kinowelt / Arthaus - Region 2 - PAL
(Sony (short version) - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Cinema Mondo / Pan Vision - Region 2 - PAL RIGHT)
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| Distribution | Sony Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC |
Cinema Mondo / Pan Vision Region 2 - PAL |
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(Sony (short version) - Region 2,4,5 - PAL LEFT vs. Kinowelt / Arthaus - Region 2 - PAL RIGHT)
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 Double Disc Special Edition:
Single Disc:
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| Distribution |
Sony Region 2,4,5 - PAL |
Kinowelt / Arthaus Region 2 - PAL |
| Distribution | Sony Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC |
Cinema Mondo / Pan Vision Region 2 - PAL |
Sony Region 2,4,5 - PAL |
Kinowelt / Arthaus Region 2 - PAL |
| Runtime | 1:50:40 | 1:58:18 (4% PAL speedup) | 1:46:29 (4% PAL speedup) | 1:58:09 (4% PAL speedup) |
| Video |
2.35:1
Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.29 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7,29 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s |
2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio |
2.35:1
Original Aspect Ratio
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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| Bitrate: Sony |
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Bitrate:
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| Audio | English (Dolby Digital 5.1) | English (Dolby Digital 5.1) | English (Dolby Digital 5.1) | English (Dolby Digital 5.1), German (Dolby Digital 5.1) |
| Subtitles | French, None | Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, None | English, English HoH, Hindi, None | German, None |
| Features |
Release Information:
Edition Details: • Wim
Wenders Audio Commentary |
Release Information: Studio: Cinema Mondo / Pan Vision Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 13
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Release Information: Studio: Sony Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 28 |
Release Information: Studio: Kinowelt / Arthaus Aspect Ratio:
Edition
Details: Chapters 18 |
| Comments: |
NOTE: SEE IDENTIFIED DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE LONG AND SHORT VERSIONS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS COMPARISON
ADDITION - Kinowelt - PAL - January -07': The KINOWELT (R2) edition is the definitive version. It contains the original cut of the film and has loads of bonus material. Unfortunately the audio commentary by Wim Wenders is this time in German and does't have English subtitles! Though most of the extra material is in English, approx. 2:40 h on the disc. The best image is possible on the Sony (UK) PAL disc, but it's the short version of the film. They are all almost equal. Note! There's also a ONE disc edition from KINOWELT - same video/audio quality but no second disc of supplements.
*** ADDITION: SONY (UK) pal - The UK disc has the shorter US cut of the film (SEE IDENTIFIED DIFFERENCES AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS COMPARISON). The DVD is almost identical with the Sony R1 disc. Some subtitle options are different. The image is similar on all three disc's, but possibly the Sony R2/4/5 disc is the sharpest. It seems that the short version is distributed in those countries that Sony has the distribution rights. The screen frames are not all the exact frame (The Sony disc had some troubles with the VLC player).
*** The main reason for these comparison is that the Nordic disc contains a "Director's Cut" of the film (1:58:18 / PAL). The difference is approx. 12 minutes. The Finnish DVD has the same length that is listed on IMDb. The "director's cut" didn't have anything that I thought shouldn't be there, so I wonder what is missing from the shorter version? On the DVD cover is the text: This version has more extraordinary scenes from Howard's runaway! Fans of Wim Wender shouldn't miss this version. The UK (R2) version is listed as 1:46:14 (PAL), so appears to be the shorter one as well. The image is slightly brighter and sharper on the R1 disc, but the Nordic isn't especially poor. The sound is flawless. The Region 1 has a director's commentary that is absent from the Nordic release.
NOTE: SONY Classics was convinced that a shorter version of the
film would work better for a US audience. Wim Wenders
**** There is
some edge enhancement (possibly due to infinitesimal contrast boosting)
on this transfer but for the most part
Franz Lustig's cinematography looks quite
stunning on this Sony release. It is a beautiful film making the, even
minor, manipulation totally unnecessary and rather frustrating. Contrary
to other reviews I found this very sharp with excellent detail on the
tightly rendered 2.35 anamorphic, progressive image. There are no
glaring artifacts (actually none at all that I can recall) - sky scenes
are exceptionally smooth and colors brilliant (noted especially in the
casino/bar scenes in the film).
Audio, hardly tested, is even better - dynamic 5.1 adds something
special to this film experience. There are only French subtitles (no
English) offered.
Extras are acceptable - another
informative commentary by Wenders, Sundance and NY Premiere featurettes
and a short 5 minute interview with Wenders and Eva Marie Saint that
should have been much longer.
The film was not greeted well by
critics, but Wenders recent output seems to be met with this same level
of indifference. Like
Paris, Texas the reunification of Shepard/Wenders is an
intentionally paced film of personal inventory and familial redemption.
I enjoyed it, but I can see how many might not. One wonders if there is
not a lot of Shepard's personal life in the role - certainly it offers
that speculation. |
Kinowelt Special Edition -Double Disc Package
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DVD Menus
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DVD Menus - Kinowelt - 2nd disc
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Screen Captures
(Sony (short version) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP vs. Cinema Mondo / Pan Vision - Region 2 - PAL 2nd vs. Sony (short version) - Region 2,4,5 - PAL 3rd vs. Kinowelt / Arthaus - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM)
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(Sony (short version) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP vs. Cinema Mondo / Pan Vision - Region 2 - PAL 2nd vs. Sony (short version) - Region 2,4,5 - PAL 3rd vs. Kinowelt / Arthaus - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM)
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(Sony (short version) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP vs. Cinema Mondo / Pan Vision - Region 2 - PAL 2nd vs. Sony (short version) - Region 2,4,5 - PAL 3rd vs. Kinowelt / Arthaus - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM)
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(Sony (short version) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP vs. Cinema Mondo / Pan Vision - Region 2 - PAL 2nd vs. Sony (short version) - Region 2,4,5 - PAL 3rd vs. Kinowelt / Arthaus - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM)
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(Sony (short version) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP vs. Cinema Mondo / Pan Vision - Region 2 - PAL 2nd vs. Sony (short version) - Region 2,4,5 - PAL 3rd vs. Kinowelt / Arthaus - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM)
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| DVD Box Cover |
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| Distribution | Sony Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC |
Cinema Mondo / Pan Vision Region 2 - PAL |
Double Disc Special Edition:
Single Disc:
Sony
Region 2,4,5 - PAL
Kinowelt / Arthaus
Region 2
- PAL
DVD Box
Cover
Distribution
DIFFERENCES WITH THE LONG AND SHORT CUTS
NOTE: "SONY Classics was convinced that a shorter version of the film would work better for a US audience. As the film came out in America 8 months after its European premiere, the produce, Peter Schwartzkopff together with myself decided to go ahead with SONY'S request.I made these cuts myself together with the editor of the film, Peter Przygodda. It is not unusual that films have a different running time in the US. And SONY Classics did not demand it, they just suggested it, with good arguments. And they know what they do. In other cases, SONY Classics actually released LONGER versions of my films in the US than in Europe. (Yes, believe it or not!) "Faraway, so Close!" was several minutes longer in the US version..."
Wim Wenders
- Per-Olof Strandberg
| 1) Evening falls, and Howard is tired. Howard is lost and don't have a clue what to do next. The film has many Western pasties, and these is one. A lone rider and a fire place, but these time it's almost a parody: The Lone Rider is lost. This is the one of the few times Wim Wender's use a close-up. The scene's importance is showing that Howard didn't plane to escape, he didn't know his next movement. |
Screen Captures
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| 2) The Bank Automat. Howard pick up all the money from the Credit Cards. Two characters' have waited a long time for their turn. On of the character thinks he recognize Howard. Howard walks out and in the square a fountain start's to function just when he is in the middle of it. Except that these scene show's were Howard have got the Money to pay the Motel bills, there's also a side characters help to build the picture of America, and one of the characters' think he has seen Howard somewhere (creates a feeling his constantly watched and someone is tailing him). |
Screen Captures
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| 3) BUS RIDE. In the short version the bus drive is only a plot driven scene. Howard changes his cloths. In the original version it's more a mental scene of Howard state. People in the Bus is staring at him when he changes cloths. When he looks out of the window, there's a lone man with Golf clubs, talking to himself about God. The atmosphere is very odd. Together with these sequence the first scene with Sky and the scene where the actress don't want to shoot the film without Howard is shortened, to obtain a rhythm with the shortened Bus scene. |
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| 4) THE CASINO. When Howard is drunk and angry he walks to the next Casino. In the original cut he's coming in, takes a new drink, dash against an officer, and discover a machine that promise: Are you ready for the fight of your life! When he's arrested there's missing an important scene: When the police men take him to a police car, Howard says: I grove up in this town, you aren't from here, don't you know I'm an actor. These scene is not only absurd, it gives important background information of Howard life. |
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| 5) Howard goes to a Motel where Manicurist's have a meeting. These long sequence is entirely disposed from the short version, tough the DVD cover has picture's of it. Howard stops at a Motel. At the Motel there's a Manicurists meeting. Howard pays a room with the money he took from the Bank automat. He phone's to his Mother asking questions of his presumable son. When the girl's found out Howard is a famous actor, everyone want's to spend a night with him. In the Morning the cleaner chases the three girls away from his bed, and Howard is left alone with a TV set and a picture that could have something to do with him! This long scene is not only funny, it also tells about Howard's character. His alone and suddenly because his an famous actor, he finds himself surrounded with beautiful girls. These scene tells in short terms the reason (in a funny way) why Howard possible have Children all over America. The lonely moment in a Hotel room and a open TV is not only a Edward Hopper image. It's similar with Wender's An American Friend. |
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6) THE INDIAN AND A GUN. The
Indian is planted beforehand, and this is the pay off of
that scene. An Indian wants Howard's money, and when Howard
don't have it, the Indian shoot the tires of his car. Also several scenes have the first two pictures cut away, to make the story faster -or because of the rhythm of the picture before. |
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Gary Tooze
Mississauga, Ontario, CANADA |
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