Woman in the Moon (Fritz Lang, 1929)
My initial impressions of Lang as a director came I believe from
Fury and
M, and, despite having seen another dozen of his films since then, I still fall into the trap of thinking of him as a serious-minded, thematically-focused, stereotypically-Germanic director.
Woman in the Moon reminds me, once again, that he's equally, if not moreso, a popcorn filmmaker. His surrogate in the film is not that focused and determined leading man (Wolf Helius!) but rather the boy who's obsessed with sci-fi comic books. Lang directs with that same sort of pulp fiction enthusiasm, calling to mind Lucas and Spielberg — or even Besson and Emmerich.
Kanopy's one-line description call the movie an "ambitious spectacle that dramatizes the first lunar expedition" — and that's the movie I was eager to see. It was something of a surprise, then, when the first act (which lasts more than an hour, I think) is such an earth-bound affair concerned with the criminal-mastermind shenanigans typical of so many other of Lang's silent-era films. Viewed out of context, it might be pleasant enough, in a Saturday matinee sort of way (the criminal's slight-of-hand disguise is especially fun), but in context it's like having to sit through three separate Olaf shorts when you're waiting to watch
Coco. The real saving grace is that it serves as a showcase for Gerda Maurus, who, in just her second film, delivers a performance of astonishing commitment and purity. Given the film's title, I was was really hoping she'd emerge as the main protagonist, because she's truly captivating. (I guess it's time to revisit
Spies.)
The launch sequence represents the film at its best, with the camerawork, editing, and special effects working very well together to create a truly engaging reel of science-fiction spectacle. The effects are by no means perfect, nor of course is the science (I was especially distracted by the understanding of g-forces), but it's fun and entertaining and even thrilling. And, maybe the best part, the launch itself is all-consuming, meaning the script momentarily forgets all its other nonsense about criminal plots, love triangles, the gold in them thar hills, et cetera. It's just a shame that the movie couldn't have started here and found the natural drama in the story of the space trip rather than relying on cliched elements from other genres.
Woman of the Moon has the feel of future summer blockbuster that started as a serious spec script, went through a series of drafts, all heavily influenced by the note of various producers, and morphed into an bloated epic that attempted to please all crowds but end up pleasing few. One producer insisted on a criminal plot because that's what the audience expected from Lang's films; another wanted a romance; a third insisted on a child stowaway so the kids in the audience would have someone to related to; and then some other jerk wanted an old man with his pet mouse on board to cover every demographic. The result is a predictable mess — but one that's still somewhat entertaining, despite the many frustrations along the way. I'd let my guard down near the end, so the film's final surprise worked perfectly on me, ending things on a good narrative note (but a confused moral one). Despite being ultimately let down by the movie, the rock formation in the cave had me curious about a sequel.
Grade: C+
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