Who's That Knocking at My Door?

Joseph Brenner Associates (JBA) | Release Date: September 8, 1968

6.9	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Ratings

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AndrewBurgeJan 9, 2019

Scorsese's debut film is one which lacks polish in pretty much any presentation category, but most obviously in editing and sound mixing. It can be a noisy mess at times, and its awkward editing offers a limp pace and can create confusion.Scorsese's debut film is one which lacks polish in pretty much any presentation category, but most obviously in editing and sound mixing. It can be a noisy mess at times, and its awkward editing offers a limp pace and can create confusion. The thing is, though, the man was never one to bother with smoke and mirrors, but always create an intimate connection between his characters, which were always his focus.

With its jagged look, this film also offers unfiltered, frank situations, and I feel like its lead character, J.R. (Harvey Keitel) might be an overall representation of Scorsese himself. When he first talks to the unnamed girl (Zina Bethune), we can relate to him. He makes small talk about movies. This is Scorsese showing his respect for the art in a way that, really, no director does. J.R. could have talked about literature, music, but no. He mentions Western Classics, mostly surrounding John Wayne, films like "The Searchers" and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance". And he talks about these again and again, making me feel like he really loves them and not just fighting against the awkward silence.

While there is a lack of polish, there is also this purity and brutal expression that he does. In the very first scene, we see Scorsese's late mother making food and serving it to a couple of children. The scenes with J.R. and his do-nothing friends are of a raw mess and he almost stereotypes Italians. There is also a ravishing sexual scene in which J.R. fascinates over bedding multiple prostitutes one after the other. This is a bluntly expressive machismo sexual fantasy and its a perfect example of Scorsese's in-your-face approach which he has not came back to at such a level since then.

In his later works, Scorsese would continue to juggle with women, tough guys, his Italian upbringing, the art of cinema, but what I believe is his deepest and most complex emotion is religion. Its present in this film, although briefly. This is something which he has struggled to comprehend all his life, and in 1967 he was too young and, as we can see from the lack of academic proficiency, too inexperienced to feel confident in handling it.… Expand

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Gari23Dec 31, 2020

Very good beginning from my favorite movie director. It has incredible performances and a story that's simple, but effective. 7.5/10

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Gamzguy17Aug 21, 2021

Martin Scorsese's debut film has serious editing problems and it isn't exactly a showcase of his directing talents that he would later perfect, but 'Who's That Knocking at my Door?' is still a strong film that ditches a thorough plotline inMartin Scorsese's debut film has serious editing problems and it isn't exactly a showcase of his directing talents that he would later perfect, but 'Who's That Knocking at my Door?' is still a strong film that ditches a thorough plotline in favour of an artistic commentary regarding late 1960's New York, youth culture, and exploitative sex. This film has some balls to exploit what was considered taboo and it does so with accompanying smart dialogue (Scorsese wrote this too) and some lovely landscapes.… Expand

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