Who’s That Knocking At My Door (1967)
“You know: there are girls, and then there are broads!”
Synopsis: |
Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:
Review:
Despite its cobbled together nature, every scene of the film was storyboarded, thus showcasing Scorsese’s nascent cinematic voice: he uses techniques such as double-exposure, extreme close-ups, unusual angles, flashbacks, slow motion, an eclectic soundtrack, and freeze frames. Indeed, Scorsese’s clear love (obsession) for film shows through in some portions of the semi-awkward screenplay, including when Keitel and Bethune “meet cute” over a French magazine and he grills her on whether she’s seen The Searchers or not. Other instances are less direct, but will still be obvious to cinema fans — such as the rooftop scene when the couple discusses pigeons (hearkening, of course, to On the Waterfront, which similarly features a tentative romance between an Italian-American New Yorker and a lithe blonde). Scorsese’s trademark machismo and violence are in full evidence — such as during a scene when J.R.’s friend forces him out of the car (then lets him back him), and a slo-mo sequence involving a gun being waved around at a party. Although she’s not given much dimensionality, we like Bethune’s character enough that it’s distressing to see how she’s treated after sharing her dark story; but to Scorsese’s credit, he doesn’t shy away from depicting exactly how such a scenario may have gone down in such a deeply (toxically) Catholic culture. While this film isn’t pleasant — and its amateur status is clear — it will probably be of interest to Scorsese fans. Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:
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One thought on “Who’s That Knocking At My Door (1967)”
Rewatch (5/12/22). [Strangely, I wrote little about this rewatch – just:] What makes this a once-must is the last 20 minutes, in which Keitel and Bethune have a ‘showdown’ over his inability to not be sexist. Keitel’s character refers to himself as “a reasonable guy” while proving misogyny among Italian men.