Knockin' on Heaven's Door (film)

Infobox Film
name = Knockin´on Heaven's Door


caption = Theatrical poster
director = Tomas Jahn
producer = Til Schweiger, Thomas Zickler, Andre Hennicke
writer = Thomas Jahn, Til Schweiger
starring = Til Schweiger
Jan Josef Liefers
Moritz Bleibtreu
Thierry Van Werveke
Huub Stapel
Rutger Hauer
Hannes Jaennicke
Ralph Herforth
music = Selig
cinematography = Gero Steffen
editing = Alexander Berner
distributor = Buena Vista International, Mr. Brown Entertainment
released = flagicon|West GermanyFebruary 20, 1997
runtime = 86 min.
country = Germany
language = German, English
budget = 3,500,000 DM
imdb_id = 0119472

Knockin' on Heaven's Door is a 1997 German criminal comedy,*imdb title|id=0119472|title=Knockin' on Heaven's Door] by Thomas Jahn, starring Til Schweiger, Moritz Bleibtreu and Rutger Hauer. Its name derives from the Bob Dylan song which is also on the film's soundtrack.

Story

Two patients (Martin Brest and Rudi Wurlitzer) meet in a hospital, both just after learning about their untreatable disease. They start talking about their death that is to come very soon. When they find a bottle of Tequila, Martin finds out that Rudy has never seen the ocean. Martin tells Rudy that all they talk about in Heaven is how beautiful the ocean is.

Drunk and still in their pajamas, they steal an old Mercedes convertible of baby blue color and go for their last mission, to see the ocean. The car belongs to a crime boss. They rob several small shops, only to find that there is a million cash in the trunk of their car.

As they progress closer to their goal police along with gangsters start the hot pursuit. Eventually, friends find themselves trapped in the middle of the country side road by police unit on one side and gangsters on the other side pointing their guns at each other. Standoff finally erupts into a big shoot-out while friends make a desperate escape though the corn field. After that, Martin buys a pink Cadillac of the same model as the one which Elvis Presley presented to his mother. His wish is to make the same present to his own mother. As he fulfills the wish, friends got ambushed by police near the Martin’s mother house. Martin imitates a fit of disease and falls on the ground. He is taken to the hospital in an ambulance car with Rudi sitting by his side. En route, Martin and Rudi hijack the vehicle to continue their quest. On the way to the ocean they stop by a brothel, where Rudi should fulfill his wish to have sex with two women at the same time. Accidently, the brothel is visited by two gangsters who were after the duo throughout their journey. Gangsters take Rudi and Martin to their boss who asks them for money they should return. Martin says that the money was spent and sent to various people which drives criminal boss insane. Enraged he points a gun at them ready to shoot, while Curtiz, the most influential criminal for whom money were meant to be delivered, comes in. After a short talk and a phrase “Then you better run, before you run out of time” Curtiz spares their lives and lets them go.

The film ends as Martin and Rudi arrive at the ocean’s shore. Friends walk to the sandy beach and Martin falls dead on the ground. Rudi imperturbably sits down beside his friend, facing the ocean and watching the surf.

Cast

*Til Schweiger ... Martin Brest
*Jan Josef Liefers ... Rudi Wurlitzer
*Thierry Van Werveke... Henk - der Belgier
*Moritz Bleibtreu ... Abdul - der Araber
*Huub Stapel ... Frankie 'Boy' Beluga
*Leonard Lansink ... Kommissar Schneider
*Ralph Herforth ... Assistant Keller
*Cornelia Froboess ... Frau Brest - Martins Mutter
*Rutger Hauer ... Curtiz

References