Jargon Winter Edition 2024: Paris, Texas

Trilogy,an unofficial trio of films groupedtogetherfortheirsimilarities inthemeswhichincludeaimlessness, loneliness,and identity.These films establishedWenders’cinematicstyle and garnered attention and praise from the internationalfilm industry. Paris, Texas (1984), his most well-knownfilm,wasareturntothe road moviegenreforboth Wenders and cinematographerRobby Müller, aswellasanexplorationofWenders’ interestintheUSA,whichisseenin otherworkssuchasAliceintheCities (1974).The film providesa touching story about loss and family,with Harry Dean Stanton’s brilliant portrayalofthe protagonist,Travis, and Müller’s cinematography beautifullycapturingthevastdeserts and towering citiesofAmerica.The keyfeaturewhichconnectstheRoad MovieTrilogyandParis,Texasarethe thematicparallelsbetweenthefilms which stem from Wenders’German background.

Paris,Texaswasaculminationof Wenders’ fascination with America.HevisitedtheStatesin the earlyeightiesand created a photoseriescalledWritteninthe West which helped him scout locations and determine the atmosphereofthefilm hewanted to create.Anotherkeyinfluence was the work of writer Sam Shephard and particularly Motel Chronicles(1983),acollection of short poems and fragmented stories set in small towns throughoutthe American West. These would serve as the foundation for the script, providing an emotionalbase for Wenders and Shephard,along with Paris,TexasscreenwriterL. M.KitCarson,toexplorethrough the film. Road novels also impactedthemovie,includingthe worksofJackKerouacandRobert M. Pirsig. These established principal themes of the road genrewhichWendersdelvedinto to frame the search forpurpose andourrelationshipswithothers.

with hisson,Hunter.Travis’time in LosAngeles showstheimportanceofhavinglovedonesaround you,butWenderspushesthestoryfurtherwhen TravisandHunterreturntoTexasinordertofind hiswife,Jane.Thisiswherethethemeoffamilyis strongest,asTravisandHunterbondontheirtrip and begin to grow close once again.However, Wenders subverts the ideas ofthe traditional family narrative and distances Travis and Jane, both physically and emotionally.Through their poignant conversations,it is clear that Travis cannotreturntohisfamily,andhegivesuphisown dreamsofahappylifewith them in ordertolet JanereunitewithHunterashegoesoffonhisown. WendersframesTravis’storythroughthesituation that many Germans faced during its division, providingabittersweetconclusionthatcreatesa specialemotionalresonance found in Wenders’ mosttouchingworks.Wendershasspokenabout how significantParis,Texasisinhisfilmography, and his background has influenced the main themes.Germanyhad been divided formostof Wenders’lifeand manyfamilieswereseparated becauseofit;thiswasespeciallyevidentinBerlin, where Wenders had been living since the seventies.

Wenders’portrayaloftheUSinthefilm wasmuch more positive than those of contemporary EuropeanfilmmakersandgoesbacktoWenders’ fascinationwiththecountry.Wendersisaglobal filmmaker;he hasmade filmsacrossthe world, andlikestoexamineotherculturesandcompare them withafocusonbelongingfrom anoutsider’s pointofview.Identity,andthestruggletofinda senseofpurpose,arekeythemesinParis,Texas. Wenders explores this through the eponymous town ofParis,Texas.Parisitselfisan important aspectofTravis’identity,and,believingittobethe placewherehewasconceived,hebuyslandthere thinkingthathewilldiscoverhimselfthereandbe abletolivehappilywithJaneandHunter.America particularlywasintriguingtoWendersforitsvast stretchesofopenlandwithouttheculturalborders ofEurope.Adiscerniblelinkcanalsobemadewith therestrictionofmovementbetweenEastand

WestGermany,andtheimpactithadon Wenders’ filmmaking philosophy.Wenders’portraitoftheUS reflectshislovefortheroad,andasaEuropeanhe certainlyviewedAmerica’sendlesshighwaysasthe perfectplace to lose yourselfin the search for somethingnew.

Paris,Texas quickly found success,unanimously winning the Palme d’OratCannesFilm Festivalin 1984,andhasgoneontoberegardedasoneofthe greatestfilmsofalltime.Wenderscontinuestomake successful narrative films, although he has transitioned primarily to documentaries,fitting his slow andhumanisticapproachtofilmmaking.Paris, Texas,muchlikeallofWenders’bestworks,explores itsthemesinabeautifulandmovingway.Inplacing thevieweronapersonaljourneyoffamily,loss,and belongingthatultimatelyendsintragedy,thefilm is suretohavealastingimpactonthosewhowatchit.

theremainsofbygonerelationshipsacrossEuropeandAmerica,andhow noveltyoflocationinfluencesthe emotionalresponsetotragedy.

RufusScott’ssufferinginthebook’sopeningsectionispredicatedonaguiltthatemotionallyunioniseshim withthoseheleavesbehind.Asasaxophonist,hiswordlesssolosarepermeatedwithdrawlsthatbeg‘do you love me?’,often posited to be his interpretation ofhis white partner,Leona’s,voice amidstthe deteriorationoftheirrelationship;alovethatwasinexorablygroundedinsocialrealitiesthatpervadedtheir animalpassions.

The rhythm of their love drums softlyatfirst,‘rockingandrising’as the sea carries a boat,‘barely suggestive ofthe violence ofthe deep’.The novelitselfopensata lullingpace,hintingsteadilyatthe darker undercurrent but rarely allowing itto dissipate the hazy atmosphere it has so carefully cultureduntilRufus’sdescenttears itopen.SexwithLeonaisanactof defiance to the ‘almighty white God’,colouredwithvengeancethat fillsRufuswith ‘mysteriousdread’ clearly stemming from a marked dissonancebetweennaturaldesire andsocietaltaboothatpropelhim to masochistic absolution; appearing to answer Leona’s begging refrain in the definitive,I won’t,becauseIcan.

Rufus’ actions speak of wilful abandonment, pooling from a maelstrom of inner-guilt. ‘You motherfuckingbastard’,hespeaks to himselfin his finalmoments, clingingtotheGeorgeWashington bridge. In the opening chapter, someninetypages,Rufusleadthe treacherouscycleofsufferingandself-hatethatAnotherCountry’sextendedcastwillfollow.Butwherehe seeksabsolutionindeath,hisfriendsseekabsolutioninlivingduetohissacrifice;afatefulplungethatbears fruitinthelivesofthoseclosesttohim.‘Ifyoudon’tforgiveyourself,you’llneverbeabletoforgiveanyone else’,CassechoesdidacticallylatertoVivaldo,thecharacterwhoarguablymostlivesthefalloutofhis closestfriend’sfatefulsuicide.

VivaldohashisheelsfirmlyrootedinthemuckofNew York,asifslicinghisfingersonjaggedglassshards, tryingtorebuildamidstthebloodyfoundationsofhislostcomradeshipwithRufus.

Vivaldodancesdangerouslyfrom threattointimacywithRufus,whorememberstheirlastnightinvivid detail,tryingtounderstandthefuryofRufus’actionsastodiscernwhether,inretrospect,heactedcorrectly byholdinghisfriendinbedafteraviolentoutburst.Baldwinlingerstitillatinglyontheheavyclosenessof

Heartbreakingly,Vivaldo admits‘Ican stand on the edge myself,butIcan’twatch anyone else do it’, acknowledginghisabandonmentofRufuswhichhenow seekstorepairwithIda,Rufus’sister,whoinstead becomesacanvasforhisprojectionsofself-hate.Knowinghisfriendsointimately,Vivaldomustparallelhis ownsexlife,typifiedthrough‘rendingandtearing’,withtheviolenthome-lifeofRufusandLeonathatdeeply traumatisedhim.ButwhenEric,Rufus’formerlover,returnsfrom Paris,thepairreignitetheiroldfriendship amidstthebackdropofVivaldo’scrumblingrelationshipwhichkindlesintensedomesticspatsthatgrapple openlywiththecomplexitiesofinterracialrelationships.Vivaldoishobbledbyhisemotions,awriterunable towrite,anddistanceshimselffrom Idabybeingwilfullyignoranttoherinfidelity.

Risking closeness with Eric uproots Vivaldofrom hisparalysis,dueinlargepart to how itprompts him to examine his closenesswithhismartyr.‘Wasitlikethis for Rufus?’,Vivaldo wonders,centering theirsexentirelyintherealisationhecould be becoming everything Scott’s death representstohim.Itisentirelytypicalto the sprawling,hotnarrative ofAnother Country,thatVivaldo’sacknowledgement ofhis faultis pivotalin his absolution, stating‘thismayneverhappenagain’,as thetransformativeeffectoftheencounter allows him to forgive himselfand move forwardwithIda.NotdespitesexwithEric, butbecauseofit.

Eric,whospendsanimpactfulchunkofthe novel’stimeinaParisianidyll,suffersthe least of Another Country’s characters because he isallowed space awayfrom the stifling metropole to explore true, innocentintimacywith hispartner,Yves; hereBaldwinperhapsrecollectinghisown experiencesin the French capital.When Yvesisviewedasaplaceholderforthecity ofParis,oneisprovidedmoreinsightinto Baldwin’s liberating continental experience ashe epitomisesrespite and contrastto the extentthatEricimagines hispartnerwoulddespiseAmerica.There isamarked separation between thetwo entities forEric,the pairso antithetical because the latteris poisoned with the residual past.Relocation for Eric was somethingofarebirth,introducedtothe storynakedandstillweareleftwiththe impressionthathisstoryisinitsgenesis, indicatingthatthereischanceforgreater growthinprocessingRufus’deaththrough acontinentallens.

RufusScotthasanintensegravityasacharacter,forcingmuchofhisfamilytoorbitthespaceheleavesbehind formostoftheirarcs.Eric,inhavingfosteredalovesoexclusiveandinnocentwhilerecoveringfrom his relationshipwithRufus,formsanarrativewhollyremovedfrom hismartyrdom.ByfleeingNew Yorkoriginally, Eric,likeVivaldo,hasleftsinunacknowledgedandbeginsanaffairwiththemarriedCass.Baldwinhesitatesto explorethedestructiveeffectthishasonCass’smarriage.Theaffairseemstorestentirelyonthecruxthat theirsexualunityallowsthem todevelopindividually,andeventuallybacktowardsmonogamy,imbuingEric’s narrativewithtruemoralambiguitythathehadremainedcleanofinParis.Indeed,althoughhisrelationship withVivaldoisfocalisedoutsideofEric’snarrative,thepairshareweightydeclarationsoflovedespiteseeming certaininthefinalityoftheiractions.

Eric’sloveaffairsarepresentedsofondlyandwithsuchemotionalheftthatheisn’tdirtiedbythem,insteadwe areinvitedtoview hishedonisticexplorationsascleansingsolidificationsofhistruelove.Yves’arrivalinNew York,viewedboyishlythroughhisperspectiveasa‘citywhichthepeoplefrom heavenhadmadetheirhome’, isslightlycontradictorytothenomadictoneofthestory’swanderinginfidelityandshame-drenchednarrative inthatheisentirely‘certain’ofEricwhenheseeshim joyouslywaving.ButtoBaldwin,reachingabsolutionis completelydetachedfrom introspectionandisinsteadaroadwalkedwithothers.Althoughdrivenlargelyby entangledmessysexinNew York,thearrivalofYvesisareturntotheuncomplicated,Europeanidyllthatwas atruerelieffrom Americanlifethatchartereddesireandresentmentbutnevertruesalvation.

AnotherCountry’sfinalpassageisalmosttoodetachedfrom thestory’sopeningtoseem plausible,thewarmly naiveoutlookrelatedasYveseuphoricallystumblesthroughcustomscannotpossiblybetheconclusiontoa narrative kickstarted with the murkythemesofdesolation and severance.Butabsolution dripssteadily throughthenovel’scharactersandstories,cleansingtheirguiltandformingtheNew YorkimaginedbyYves’s quintessentialforeignness.Actualisingthisalienconceptisaprocessdemandingofself-examination,andas VivaldoandEricgrapplewiththeirsinsthroughexperimentationswithsex,theyreassesstheirboundariesand comforts;theyareplaced inthegreatercontextofRufus’ssuicideastounderstandtheirguiltandtread carefullytowardsabsolution.

ThunderRevuetourexemplifiesthiscommitmentas

Oneofthemoststrikingperformancesfrom thistour zealousexpression,illustratinghiscontext-sensitive musicalform.Forinstance,therhythmicrecitationof son?’andtheisolationofcertainwordslike‘besidea singingstyleappearsintentionalratherthanamere rejectionofconvention,mirroringthesong’sthemes

Paris,Texasopenswitha sweepingaerialshotofthe desert,surveyingthegorgeous Americanlandscapesuntilthe cameraseeminglystumbles uponHarryDeanStanton’s TravisHendersonbychance.It’s aquintessentialimageofthe Westerngenre;thesolitaryhero aloneamongstthevast expansehecallshomeisthe genesisofsomeofthegenre’s greateststories.TheWestis builtuponthesemythological heroes,theoftenmorally ambiguous,determined, individualistic toafault-but, nonetheless, menwith mysteriousor troubled pasts.

Maison Margiela's Artistry and Identity: What We Leave on the Canvas ByLuca Grieves

Maison Margiela's artistic vision has been clear to its consumer base since its conception in 1988. From its stark white logo and signature white stitches, the house has clearly pronouneed itself as an anonymous anti-brand, bringing the every-day into the glamour of couture. However, despite the clear artistic intent of the director, Martin Margiela escapes the runway. His image cannot be found on the inner tags of his shoes, like Rick Owens, nor can he be found attending any kind of fashion week. Due to this anonymity, one must question, who is Martin Margiela? Does his lack of physical appearances disconnect us from his artistry, and what can we divine of his true self from the works we see on the catwalk. In an interview with Icon Magazine, after his leave from the brand, Margiela said 'If you decide to be anonymous you have to be it all the way'. However, this article will question the extent to which identity can be hidden, and the extent towhichanonymityisafalsehood.

To understand whether we can call a porcelain waistcoat an introspective reflection of the artist's soul, we must first definethe brand'sidentity. Inabirthdayletter from John Paul Gaultier to Martin, he claimed the brand had extracted 'substance from the marrow'. n Paul Gaultier to Martin, he claimed the brandhad extracted 'substance from the

marrow'. This extraction is most notable through the brands signature technique of replication, evidentintheirfusionofJapanese tabi'sand Europeanfootwear, their stylisation of the German army trainer, and their signature 'Replica' fragrance line. Through this process of replication Margiela deconstructsthequotidianandreformsitinto the divine, being notably shown through the brands paintwork in their tabi and GAT lines. Here, both shoe lines notably feature hand painted designs, drawing attention to the processof manufacturing, whilemakingeach shoe unique due to the varying patterns created by the brushwork. This allows the brand to bringattentionto, andcelebrate,the mundane, whilst also recontextualising pre-existing objects into the world of high fashion. Similarly, the 'Replica' line of fragrances attempts to capture meaningful moments and express them through smell, not to propose bold new scents which are defined by their relation to the brand. This is evident in the names of the perfumes, including'JazzClub', 'Bythe Fireplace', 'Sailing Day', and 'When the Rain Stops'. Through this, one of the main components of the brand is the appropriation of small human moments, anddiscardedobjects, intothesphereofhigh fashion.

Havingestablishedakey part ofthe brand's

TheBohen1ianAtelier:How HypocrisyKilledNewGrub Street

by Riley

Miszkurka-Morrison

In 1895, Edvard Munchheld a one-man gallery opening in Oslo, showcasing a large variety of hisworksfromthe famouslysubversive Screamto less overtly malapert pieces such as PortraitofRagnhildBackstrom. Amongstthese pieces was a paintingtitled SelfPortrait with Cigarette, that inadvertently became the mostimportant piece in characterising Bohemian culture as a whole. La boheme refersto 'the artistthat livesfree indisregardforconventionalpractices' and is a movementthat embodiesthe malcontented satiricalspirit artists and writersshared in Paris startingfrom around 1845. This mindset originated in the Montmartredistrict of Paris,but hassince permeated through a large majority of literature, art, and itsproduction. The stereotype ofthe Parisian artist, sitting in a cafe, smoking andreading, hasbecome envied acrossthe world. Curiously, La boheme had a cousin of a very similar nature that isnowadays, looked upon a lotlessfavourably. Around fortyyearslater in 1891, Moorfields London became home to a large group ofsmallhistory anddictionarywriters,tryingto make a livingthroughwriting and publishing. Whilstsharing a large majority ofthe characteristics with Montmartre, writersthatpopulated Moorfields atthe time were called 'hacks' and accused of