Martin Scorsese: Ranking His Movies From Worst To Best

20. Who's That Knocking At My Door

Roger Ebert was also an enthusiastic supporter and champion of Scorsese's debut feature film, Who's That Knocking At My Door? Released in 1967 and starring a baby-faced Harvey Keitel alongside Zina Bethune, it went on to win the 1968 Chicago Film Festival and establish Scorsese as a director to watch. Keitel plays J. R., a youthful, fun-loving and exuberant Catholic Italian-American who encounters a beautiful woman (Bethune) on the ferry and decides that it's high time he brings his profligate lifestyle to an end and settle down and raise a family. But tearing himself away from his drinking buddies proves to be more difficult than he expected, particularly when he learns of her dark secret. Who's That Knocking At My Door? has been described as something of a dry run for his later movies, particularly Mean Streets, and indeed many familiar themes - not least the questioning of one's religious faith - are explored in full. It's a strong debut by anyone's standards, shot in crisp black and white and full of energetic performances.