Don't Come Knocking 2005

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6.2 / 10   103 vote(s)
R
Drama Western

Howard Spence has seen better days. Once a big Western movie star, he now drowns his disgust for his selfish and failed life with alcohol, drugs and young women. If he were to die now, nobody would shed a tear over him, that's the sad truth. Until one day Howard learns that he might have a child somewhere out there...

Homepage http://www.dontcomeknocking.com/
Release Date 2005-05-19
Runtime 2h 3m
Directors Wim Wenders, Franz Lustig, Josef Lieck, Edward McGurn, Josefine Schwartzkopff, Michael Wenders
Producers Wim Wenders, Andreas Schreitmüller, Jeremy Thomas, In-Ah Lee, Samson Mucke, Peter Schwartzkopff, Carsten H.W. Lorenz, Karsten Brünig, Rémi Burah, Reinhold Elschot, Frank Graf, Stephan Mallmann, Peter Nadermann, Michel Reilhac, Meinolf Zurhorst, Manfred Zurhorst
Writers Wim Wenders, Sam Shepard

Caught between Earth and Sky

RELEASED IN 2005 and directed by Wim Wenders, "Don't Come Knocking" tells the story of a 60 year-old B-Western film has-been, Howard Spence (Sam Shepard), who is sick of his meaningless scandalous carnal existence. While on a film set in Utah he jumps ship and flees on a horse, searching for SOMETHING, like a reason to exist. He ultimately travels to Butte, Montana, where he gets reacquainted with an ex-girlfriend (Jessica Lange) and meets an angry young musician (Gabriel Mann) as well as a mysterious spiritual woman (Sarah Polley). Meanwhile the film company sends an eccentric bounty hunter (Tim Roth) to fetch Shepard for breach of contract.

Although this is generally a quiet drama, it has a hip and likable artistic flair. The film is highlighted by magnificent Western locations and a nice modern Country/Western/Rockish score/soundtrack (non-twangy).

We can all relate to Howard's search on some level; hence, despite the film's slow drama it generally maintains the viewer's attention throughout its runtime, unless you strictly favor fast-paced, quick-edited explosion-every-five-minutes thrillers.

The two youths Howard meets in the story, Earl and Sky, represent two extremes. Earl's name is fitting because he's full of volcanic rage that spits out from deep within the Earth (Earl/Earth, get it?). Sky, on the other hand, is completely spiritual in nature (hence, sky/heaven). She's full of warmth, love, compassion and forgiveness. In fact, she's the crucial Christ figure without which there would be little reconciliation for anyone in the story.

Take note of the scene where Sky meets Howard in his hotel room. Sky just looks at him with the understanding eyes of divine love. This naturally makes Spence uncomfortable; he's never experienced this before. He doesn't know what to do, so he asks her to leave.

On a side note, Jessica Lange still looks good for being in her mid-50s but I found her character strange and annoying. Also, Earl's girlfriend (Fairuza Balk) is an entertaining free spirit who looks like she might be the daughter of Steven Tyler.

The third act of "Don't Come Knocking" is too low-key for my tastes, but the movie’s worthwhile if you favor the cast and have a taste for eccentric indie dramas, as well as stories about the modern West with echoes to the past.

THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour, 51 minutes and was shot in Butte; Arches National Park and Moab, Utah; Elko and Wendover, Nevada; and Los Angeles. WRITERS: Sam Shepherd and Wim Wenders.

GRADE: B-

Wuchak