Woman in the Moon (1929)

Directed by Fritz Lang
Starring Klaus Pohl, Willy Fritsch and Gustav von Wangenheim
Produced by Fritz Lang Film

Professor Manfeldt is a broken, paranoid man. He exists in a small apartment surrounded by old books, telescopes and broken furniture. He is obsessed with the moon and the object of his academic pursuit is evident everywhere. There are drawings littering his table, mad scribblings all over his walls and even a globe of the moon in his bed. He is haggard, unkempt and beaten.

It wasn't always like this. Manfeldt was once a titan of the academic community. His colleagues' respect vanished when he presented his theory that the mountains of the moon contain vast deposits of gold. His contemporaries laughed him off the stage.

Now, the professor is getting a second chance. Helius, an engineer and owner of a hangar, is building a spaceship to travel to the lunar surface and find the gold. Helius seems less interested in the financial reward than showing the world the professor is right.

Of course, forces are arrayed against Helius and his dream. A shadowy cabal (represented by Turner) that controls the gold reserves steals Helius' plans and the professor's research. They also threaten to blow up the spaceship unless they can get in on the mission.

Further complicating Helius' efforts is the recent engagement of his best friend and partner Windegger to Helius' one true love Friede. The engineer does not want his friend or his unrequited love on the lunar trip, yet both are signed up for the ride.

So our crew is assembled and the ship is moving toward the launch pad. Will the rocket successfully reach the moon? Will the atmosphere be breathable? And will the discovery of gold serve to justify one man's academic theories or simply cause the travelers to devolve to man's basest instincts?




When is a film about a trip to the moon not about a trip to the moon?

Honestly, for what is the centerpiece of this science fiction drama, the trip to the moon is unnecessary. The crew could have traveled to the Mojave desert and told basically the same tale.

What at first blush is about this pioneering space flight is really about a live triangle (Helius-Windegger-Friede) and a conspiracy to stop the mission.

And the conspiracy piece of the film really works, thanks in no small part to Fritz Rasp's Turner. He's slimy, but always one step ahead of everyone. He controls the average flower seller on the corner. He can disguise himself to look like anyone. You threaten him and as if from the ether, a gun appears in his hand. He's always cool, always smiling, always menacing.

When he threatens Helius and his space flight dreams, you believe he can carry out the threat. He says he'll blow up Helius' hangar, you believe it absolutely.

Less successful is the love triangle aspect of the film. Helius and Friede's relationship is all forlorn looks at one another without any sense of what their past was. Why did Friede pick Windegger over Helius? Why are still carrying a torch for one another? Sorry, this film is not saying.

After a suspenseful lead up to the actual launch, the film seems to deflate. Lang tries to wring some suspense out of the rocket exceeding the speed at which the passengers will survive, but modern movie audiences know they are going to reach the moon.

And once they are there? The atmosphere is breathable. And the professor finds gold conveniently strewn about the cave in large pieces.

Also, our love triangle storyline turns into an easy choice for Friede as the moon's effect on Windegger is to inexplicably turn him into a tool.

Not helping matters is Willy Fritsch as Helius. He over-acts, over-emotes, and generally overdoes every aspect of his performance.

Lang's direction particularly prior to the spaceship being unveiled is good, but not great. I love the mood and tone he creates, but there are too many shots that linger for no good reason. The movie slows when we need it to pick up steam.

Of course, the director of Metropolis absolutely delivers on the art direction side of Woman in the Moon. From the detail of Manfeldt's apartment to the model work as the rocket rolls toward the launch pad to the moon itself, the sets and effects are ahead of their time. I've seen 50s monster movies that were less proficient.

Of course, the dated nature of Woman in the Moon also produces some campy elements. The crew's launch seats are hammocks The weightlessness disappears as they approach the moon. The moon has an atmosphere. And there's gold in them there hills!

At the end, the viewer has to balance the positives (political intrigue, art direction) against the negative (the love triangle, the weak third act). And balance they do for a score of

**1/2 out of *****

Photo from DVD Beaver