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What have we left behind? Where do we come from? It is the nostalgic side of man that Wenders wants to bring out in this film. And it is no coincidence that the film opens with a nod to the western, a foundational genre of cinema, just as the pioneer’s journey was foundational. Looking back at the past and putting together the pieces of our existence: what have we left behind after living our lives? Howard (Sam Sheperd) has reached the moment to restore the engravings of his past. He leaves the set where he is working as an actor and transforms his life into a momentary "on the road" trip towards his dear old mother. From here, even further down, towards what is almost removed, that story with that almost forgotten woman. And that son, left who knows where, without a father. A bit of a journey in search of the other half of oneself.
Expanded rhythm, panoramic shots, intense close-ups, geometric photography with vaguely pictorial traits signed by Franz Lustig, long takes, and circular shots. "Don't Come Knocking" (2005) is the usual great Wenders: it is in the purely technical formal aspect, but also and above all in the themes. The theme of travel as a moment of re-discovery returns, a key element of past works such as "Alice in the Cities" and the extraordinary "Paris, Texas". But here the tone is slightly more emphatic, "decanted", and this emerges especially in the second half of the film.
Male behaviors are always framed by Wenders in their negative side: it is the women of the story who speak of humanity, who show themselves close to the troubles of the male gender. No male character in "Don't Come Knocking" is entirely a "good" person. The female side surpasses the male side, which is violent, self-harming, selfish, unable to act.
Despite the two hours of the film and a measured pace, Wenders' work is always perfect in its cinematic balance: Wenders rarely wastes screen time in his films. A work to be savored in every single shot, never trivial or self-serving.
As an elite member of the European "cinema du regard," Wenders has come a long way, establishing himself as one of the most original and "painterly" filmmakers of the last twenty years. Often flying under the radar, never too discovered by the grand public, Wenders has written and continues to write essential pages of the seventh art. "Don't Come Knocking" is yet another great example.
Expanded rhythm, panoramic shots, intense close-ups, geometric photography with vaguely pictorial traits signed by Franz Lustig, long takes, and circular shots. "Don't Come Knocking" (2005) is the usual great Wenders: it is in the purely technical formal aspect, but also and above all in the themes. The theme of travel as a moment of re-discovery returns, a key element of past works such as "Alice in the Cities" and the extraordinary "Paris, Texas". But here the tone is slightly more emphatic, "decanted", and this emerges especially in the second half of the film.
Male behaviors are always framed by Wenders in their negative side: it is the women of the story who speak of humanity, who show themselves close to the troubles of the male gender. No male character in "Don't Come Knocking" is entirely a "good" person. The female side surpasses the male side, which is violent, self-harming, selfish, unable to act.
Despite the two hours of the film and a measured pace, Wenders' work is always perfect in its cinematic balance: Wenders rarely wastes screen time in his films. A work to be savored in every single shot, never trivial or self-serving.
As an elite member of the European "cinema du regard," Wenders has come a long way, establishing himself as one of the most original and "painterly" filmmakers of the last twenty years. Often flying under the radar, never too discovered by the grand public, Wenders has written and continues to write essential pages of the seventh art. "Don't Come Knocking" is yet another great example.
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