Old School Reviews: Wim Wenders, Don't Come Knocking

Don't Come Knocking (2005)

Director: Wim Wenders

Stars: Sam Shepard, Jessica Lange, Tim Roth, Sarah Polley

Release Company: Sony Pictures Classics

MPAA Rating: NR

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I don't know about political implications. I think the family and the love that you miss because you run away from it is a very, very general topic these days. I think it is just one of the main subjects that people all over the world are concerned with because of the disintegration of the family.
Wim Wenders, 2005

Steadfastly refusing to "go Hollywood," Wim Wenders is a true legend of the Cannes Film Festival—entering eight films into competition over the years, and winning the Palm D'Or in 1984 for Paris, Texas. So after two days of attending screenings of mediocre to poor competition movies at the 58th Festival, Wenders would deliver the goods in his latest project, Don't Come Knocking. A scan of the credits was enough to heighten anticipation for a repeat of his landmark 1984 film since Wenders was again teaming with Sam Shepard, who wrote the screenplay and plays the leading role this time around. The film also aims at similar themes—a man seeking forgiveness for his turbulent past while searching for his son.

The bad news is that Wenders latest didn't win any awards at Cannes, nor is the film likely to be highly touted by most critics due to cynical comparisons to Paris, Texas, due to too many implausible plot points, and due to the absence of political content. But don't let that prevent you from watching Don't Come Knocking. Of the five films in competition at the 2005 Festival that I saw, it is by far the most enjoyable! Totally lacking pretense and easily accessible, this character driven film is beautifully captured in some of the most beautiful western landscapes that remain.

Although born in Germany and a longtime Canadian resident, Wenders has long been fascinated by the American west. In fact, at the Cannes press conference he indicated that the American west is the most perfect spot on Earth, so it's no surprise that the settings that range from the Southwest up through Utah into Montana are carefully selected and spectacularly featured throughout the film. In particular the town of Butte, Montana becomes a major "character" in the narrative:

"Franz (Lustig) and I went to great lengths to make Butte look painterly. We knew from the beginning where it was going to take place. I've known this town for almost 30 years. We wrote the beginning for Monument Valley but didn't shoot there. It was a strange disappointment when I got there, but Monument Valley has lost its soul."

The story begins on a movie set. Legendary Western actor known for rowdiness and waywardness, Howard Spence (Shepard) sneaks off the set and decides to visit his mother (Eva Marie Saint), whom he hasn't contacted in thirty years. She lives in Elko, Nevada right close to the local casino, that makes it convenient for Howard to slip back to his pattern of debauchery when he tires of quiet moments with his mother. Finding a scrapbook of clippings that highlight Howard's drunken brawls, arrests, and various scandals, Howard realizes that his mother knows about his past—yet she doesn't pass judgment. That part is quite believable—what mother doesn't love her children, no matter what? A little less believable is the idea that she's had zero contact with Howard for thirty years, but that's why the bombshell about his unknown son that he fathered in Butte, Montana spurs him into action and gives the film direction.

Off to redeem himself, Howard seeks to make a connection with his lost "family" while the Hollywood studio has sent a dedicated, dead-pan detective (Tim Roth) to locate their missing star. In Butte, Howard soon locates his former lover Doreen (realistically played by Shepard's longtime real-life companion and mother to his two children, Jessica Lange) and discovers that his son Earl (Gabriel Mann) is a melancholy rock musician, who has no desire to acknowledge his father. Meanwhile, another young woman named Sky (Sarah Polley) carries the ashes of her recently cremated mother in her car while earnestly keeping an eye on the western star. It doesn't take too long to figure that she is destined to be Earl's counterpart.

Wenders avoids sentimentality consistently. The men have little to say and are generally restrained emotionally, except for Earl's wild rage that results in trashing his entire second floor apartment and tossing everything (including the couch) out the window. That couch comes in handy for Shepard to silently gather his thoughts and allows cinematographer Lustig to create the most striking and memorable images of the entire film. The strong ensemble cast confidently portray their vivid characters—the women remaining the strong rocks that relationships can be built around if only the men will give up their rugged western individualism and seek to become family men.

Wenders wisely declines to provide any pat answers on achieving this or resolving the issue, instead having faith that viewers will find ideas and insights from his collage of characters in a story that Shepard holds together in every frame, yet has cracks that the supporting characters all fill admirably. Although most won't include this latest project with his highest acclaimed films, Don't Come Knocking is definitely worth viewing and is a worthy addition to Wenders' distinguished resume.