Sam Mendes Names This Movie as ‘Untouchable Masterpiece’

Sam Mendes once spoke about one of the films that had a lasting impact on him as a filmmaker. On the BBC podcast This Cultural Life, he told host John Wilson that Wim Wenders’ 1984 Palme d’Or-winning film Paris, Texas is an “untouchable masterpiece.”

Mendes said he saw the movie two nights in a row and was deeply moved. “It was a big moment for me… I think the movie is still an untouchable masterpiece, made by a great filmmaker but written by a great playwright, Sam Shepard,” he said.

“It’s a film that starts with 40 minutes of no dialogue and it’s about a man who has left his wife and child behind and comes back to find them after years in the wilderness, but he’s stopped talking.”

Mendes also praised how the film tells a mythic story in a contemporary setting. “It felt like a timeless, vast, epic story set in an inhuman landscape… including Houston, which Wim Wenders shot entirely, apart from the central characters, behind glass,” he said.

Paris, Texas is a neo-Western road movie co-written by Sam Shepard and L. M. Kit Carson. The story follows Travis Henderson, played by Harry Dean Stanton, who reconnects with his brother Walt and his son Hunter after a mysterious four-year absence.

Together, Travis and Hunter go on a journey through the American Southwest to find Hunter’s mother, Jane, played by Nastassja Kinski.

The film was a critical and festival success. At the 1984 Cannes Film Festival, it won the Palme d’Or, the FIPRESCI Prize, and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury. Critics have praised its cinematography, emotional depth, and direction.

Roger Ebert gave the movie four out of four stars, writing, “Paris, Texas is a movie with the kind of passion and willingness to experiment that was more common fifteen years ago than it is now. It is true, deep, and brilliant.” Variety highlighted Wenders’ vision, calling it a worthy European portrait of the U.S., while The New York Times praised its humor and emotional resonance.

Although some critics, like David Denby of New York, described it as “lifeless” and “a fiasco,” the film has endured as a cult classic.

Publications such as Texas Monthly and The Guardian have included it on lists of the best Texas movies and favorite Palme d’Or winners. In 2015, it also appeared on a posthumous list of Akira Kurosawa’s 100 favorite films.

Paris, Texas continues to earn accolades. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 95% approval rating, with the site calling it “a quiet yet deeply moving kind of Western, [capturing] a place and people like never before (or after).”

Metacritic gives it a score of 81 out of 100, indicating universal acclaim. Over the years, it has been recognized for its direction, screenplay, cinematography, music, and performances.

Sam Mendes’ admiration for Paris, Texas shows how the film continues to inspire filmmakers decades after its release. Its story, visual style, and emotional power make it a standout example of cinema that is both timeless and deeply affecting.

What do you think of Paris, Texas—have you seen it, and does it deserve the title of masterpiece? Share your thoughts in the comments.