The Wim Wenders movies that “would not exist” without Claire Denis
Between the 1960s and ‘80s, a cinematic movement swept Germany, and filmmakers turned to more experimental modes of creation. New German Cinema subsequently became one of the most influential movements in the history of the medium, with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Margarethe von Trotta, Werner Herzog and Wim Wenders standing out as some of the most pioneering directors of the period.
The latter has enjoyed significant success with German and English-language productions, making his debut in 1970 with Summer in the City. His next film, The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick, was released two years later, and while it was praised, Wenders soon found his niche by releasing a string of road movies.
Traditionally, we associate road movies with Hollywood cinema. The vast expanses of barren American landscapes, long highways, the strange figures lurking in motels and truck stops, and the country’s preoccupation with freedom are well-suited to the genre. Yet, Wenders brought the road movie genre to Germany, finding acclaim with Alice in the Cities. He continued his trilogy with The Wrong Move and Kings of the Road, which were also in German.
With The American Friend, however, Wenders used both German and English. Wenders is keen on blending languages and cultures, exploring how people from different countries and backgrounds intersect. In all of his movies, he brings actors from various countries together, and when he sets his movies in the United States, he analyses themes like the American Dream from a unique foreign perspective.
He did this excellently in 1984 with his most successful movie, Paris, Texas. The feature blended road movie elements with emotional drama, following Harry Dean Stanton’s Travis as he returns home after going missing and sets out with his son to search for his long-lost wife. The film is easily his masterpiece, with elements of comedy sitting alongside painfully moving moments. Stanton is perfect as the protagonist, quietly trying to rebuild his life despite his initial reluctance and struggle.
The movie won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, but there was one director who Wenders asserts was vital to the success of Paris, Texas. Talking to Criterion for their ‘Closet Picks’ series, Wenders said, “Do you know that Claire Denis was the assistant on Paris, Texas and Wings of Desire?” The latter – his next film, released three years later – is another one of Wenders’ best, following angels who comfort people around the city of Berlin.
Wenders explained that “both films would not exist without Claire. Seriously.” The French filmmaker is best known for her film Beau Travail, released in 1999, which remains one of the most compelling tales of masculinity ever made. Her feature film debut, Chocolat, was released in 1988, one year after working on Wings of Desire.
In the book The Films of Claire Denis: Intimacy at the Border, Wenders discussed how Denis helped to save Paris, Texas: “I can safely say that Claire single-handedly pulled this film through. She steered it through thick and thin.”
He called her “fearless” and “relentless,” despite initially wondering if she was cut out for the job due to her lack of directorial experience. Yet, when the film’s writer, Sam Shepard, dropped out of the project mid-way, leaving the movie without a script, it was Denis who managed to keep the whole thing afloat.
Wenders added: “We had to interrupt the shoot and send the crew home. Everybody was gone except for Claire. The two of us sat in a crummy hotel in Hollywood and tried to figure out how this film could possibly continue. She got us out of this hole, too.”
