Who's That Knocking at My Door? (1967)

 Martin Scorsese's "Who's That Knocking at My Door?"


It was very strange to sit down and watch Martin Scorsese's debut feature film, 1967's "Who's That Knocking at My Door?" The reason for this strangeness is not because of any fault within the film (although it certainly has many faults). It is because the film is so bare-bones Scorsese. All of his elements are here. It's interesting to see an artist you're so familiar with at his most elemental and amateur.

The film centers on J.R., a Catholic Italian-American young man who spends most of his time drinking, partying, and engaging in violence with his do-nothing friends in New York City. He meets a girl he believes to be a virgin. After getting involved into a sexual and romantic relationship, she confides in him that she was raped by her former boyfriend. He angrily rejects her and returns to partying with his friends. After attempting to reconcile with her, she rejects him back. He attends Catholic church, seeking solace.

All of the 'Scorsese' elements are here: New York City, Italian American, violence, Catholicism, etc. J.R. is even a film lover who obsesses over John Wayne films. It's all the very same stew used to concoct Scorsese's entire filmography.

Despite feeling as though all the Scorsese elements are there, it doesn't quite synthesize coherently. It feels more like Scorsese is getting his feet underneath him. My biggest qualm was the pacing of the film, which remained inconsistent throughout. Some moments felt like abrupt asides that interrupted the flow, causing it to stall repeatedly. 

Even the camerawork and editing felt like a kid in a candy store, experimenting with different styles and techniques. Sometimes I felt like the camerawork was magical, like the sequence involving J.R. with the prostitute. The camera spins around them in a disorienting whirlwind. However, there are other instances where I felt the experimentation was forced, and didn't properly abed the story.

Overall, "Who's That Knocking at My Door" is a far more interesting exploration into the origins of an American artist than it is a great film independent from him. I did still enjoy the film and find it at the very least somewhat entertaining and interesting. However, I know that Scorsese will take all the ingredients found here and fashion them into far more engaging and elevated experiences later on.



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