SYNOPSICS
Knockin' on Heaven's Door (1997) is a German,English movie. Thomas Jahn has directed this movie. Til Schweiger,Jan Josef Liefers,Thierry van Werveke,Moritz Bleibtreu are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1997. Knockin' on Heaven's Door (1997) is considered one of the best Action,Crime,Comedy,Drama movie in India and around the world.
Two young men, Martin Brest (Til Schweiger) and Rudi Wurlitzer (Jan Josef Liefers), both suffering from terminal cancer, get to know each other in a hospital room. They drown their desperation in tequila and decide to take one last trip to the sea. Drunk, and still in pajamas, they steal the first fancy car they find, a 1960s Mercedes convertible. The car happens to belong to a bunch of gangsters, who immediately start to chase it, since it contains more than the pistol Martin finds in the glove box.
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Knockin' on Heaven's Door (1997) Reviews
Excellent, excellent movie
The TV guide described the two leads in _KoHD_ as terminally ill gangsters, so when I came to watch it I discovered something quite different from what I had expected. _KoHD_ is an excellent film that blends facets of gangster, buddy, road movie, comedy and drama genres together into a seamless whole. Initially, Martin and Rudi are, of course, hopelessly mismatched. As they travel towards the sea (their ultimate goal), the relationship between the two men begins to change. The nervous Rudi finds strength and confidence; Martin, on the other hand, who is initially by far the stronger of the pair, comes to rely more upon Rudi for strength and assistance. Much have been made of the comedy in _KoHD_, and this is a major component - it is the humour that makes the film (which could have been utterly bleak) ultimately an uplifting experience. That being said, however, just when you forget that both men are dying you are reminded forcefully that they are both, as the title suggests, knocking on heaven's door. These two forces - the pathos and the comedy - provide a wonderful balance. Thumbs up.
GREAT FILM, but you've got to either learn German, or wait for the dubbed version.
First of all, WHY HAS THIS FILM NOT BEEN RELEASED IN ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES??!! Is it because Hollywood is afraid of German films that are actually as good as theirs? Is it because this is a foreign film that isn't "foreign" enough (e.g. Bergmanesque symbolism or Wender's "poetic imagery") or is it because neither America nor Britain have the nerve to properly dub this film into English? In any case, the world is missing out. This is a highly entertaining film with a simple plot, lots of humor, plenty of action, and two terrific leads. The plot, regardless of how many people will compare it to "pulp fiction" (a comparrison, by the way, which I simply cannot understand,)is a straight-forward buddy flick about two terminally ill men in their early thirties. Like all buddy movies, (Lethal Weapan, 48 hours, Nothing to lose) the characters couldn't be more different at the beginning, and find a way to get along by the films end. Nothing new here, except for the fact that both men know they will be dead by the film's end, thus eliminating (thank goodness) any chance of a sequel. Anyway, our heroes meet in the hospital, and quickly decide that they want to really "live" their final days on earth, and see the ocean before they pass away. They steal a car which happens to belong to a dutch gangster (brief cameo by rutger hauer). Thus begins the chase across Germany and Holland, a chase which combines road-movie laughs a-la Dumb and Dumber (there is a VERY similiar scene where the two men find the suitcase filled with money, and check into a rediculously fancy hotel) with genuine character development and bonding, a-la Thelma and Louise. The real star of the film is not the plot, but the little moments of genuine humor and tenderness between the leads. Director Thomas Jahn's balance between over-the-top action-comedy and emotional "cancer drama" is amazingly played out by the two actors (til schweiger and jan josef liefers) I would recommend this film to ANYBODY who likes to be entertained. The music is great, the jokes (most of them, at least) fly, and the relationships are genuine. The only problem is probably that at this point, you have to speak German fluently to understand most of what's going on. BUT BE PATIENT! Someday Hollywood will discover this film and at least SUBTITLE it like they did the equally terrific(er) "lola rennt". My only hope is that they don't simply ruin the film by remaking it with american stars. That would be a great letdown, because this film is already perfect. I doubt that most people would even think it's foreign, if they simply forget the subtitles and get into it.
chef-d'uvre of life
European movies do have this feature: they combine drama and comedy and make you smile because it is too sad to cry. Moreover, this particular film has a perfectly selected crew and the screenplay is flawless. To have a dream. This masterpiece is all about it. Two men, trapped by cancer unconsciously recognizing the sea as the symbol of freedom and eternity are making their last 500 km to the Baltic Sea. Acting at its best the crew is offering us this warm feeling of sad happiness while singing Guns&Roses "Knock, knock, knockin' on the heaven's doors" and understanding, that such moments do make life.
an awesome one
After watching the movie for 11th time i decided to share what i think of it. It is simply great. By great i mean the idea that is (supposedly) very deep inside. Perhaps it's about the ultimate goal, that everyone has and hasn't got time to fulfill it, and when the moment comes that makes one understand 'now is the right time'. Sometimes it's too late, sometimes one never understands it is time to change something, but for those two, life was a success. Quoting matrix (kill me), it's the "free your mind" style, when all problems go away and you can do whatever you want to do. It's actually a very thrilling experience, and hope this movie can inspire someone to change something in the rhythm of life they're currently living. I like movies that make you think different of things, and this surely is one that does so.
To see the sea
Incredibly interesting and clever movie! This movie is very popular in Russia. Why? I don't know. May be because of its excellent philosophical meaning. But it's a fact that this film is close to the Russian spectators (it's enough to see ratings and lists of favorite films). This film is a parable about the main aim of human's life. What's really the main thing in our life? What will you do if you remained to live only several days? These are very interesting questions. And the heroes of this movie trying to answer this questions... It's not so difficult to see the sea, as it seems.