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Old 03-06-2010, 10:38 PM   #199
sabotai
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Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: The Satellite of Love
Frau im Mond (1929)
English Title: Woman in the Moon




Directed by: Fritz Lang
Starring: Klaus Pohl, Willy Fritsch, Gustav von Wangenheim
Length: 169 min
Genre: Science Fiction / Drama
Based On: "Die Frau im Mond" novel written by Thea von Harbou (Lang's wife)


Plot from Wikipedia

The film is a melodrama, with scientific speculation. Helius is an entrepreneur with an interest in space travel. He seeks out Professor Mannfeldt, a visionary who has written a treatise on the likelihood of finding gold on the moon, only to be ridiculed by his peers. Helius recognizes the value of Mannfeldt's work – but a gang of evil businessmen have also taken an interest in Mannfeldt's theories.

Meanwhile, Helius' assistant, Windegger, has announced his engagement to Helius' other assistant, the lovely Friede. This is disconcerting to Helius, who secretly loves Friede. He avoids their engagement party but is then mugged on the way home by henchmen of the evil businessmen, commanded by the creepy Mr. Turner. They steal the research of Prof. Mannfeldt and also burgle his home, taking other valuable material. They then present him with an ultimatum: they know he is planning a voyage to the moon. Either he includes them with the project or they will sabotage it and destroy his rocket. Reluctantly, Helius agrees to their terms.

So, the rocket team is assembled: Helius, Mannfeldt, Windegger, Friede and Turner (who is along to represent the interests of the evil businessmen). After the rocket blasts off, it is discovered that Gustav, a young boy who has befriended Helius and has a choice collection of science fiction comics, is aboard as a stowaway. During the journey, Windegger emerges as something of a coward and general wet blanket and the feelings of Helius toward Friede become known to her, creating a romantic triangle of sorts.

Once they get to the far side of the moon, Mannfeldt and Turner prove Mannnfeldt's theory that there is gold on the moon. They struggle in a cave and Mannfeldt falls to his death in a crevasse. Turner attempts to hijack the rocket and in the struggle he is shot and killed. Gunfire damages the oxygen tanks and they come to the grim realization that there is not enough oxygen for all to make the return trip. One person must remain on the moon (which, in this film, has a breathable atmosphere on its far side, per the theories of Peter Andreas Hansen, who is mentioned near the beginning of the film).

Helius and Windegger draw straws to see who must stay and Windegger loses. Seeing Windegger's self-centered anguish, Helius decides to drug him and take his place, letting Windegger return to earth with Friede. He makes Gustav his confidant and the new pilot for the ship. After the ship takes off for home, Helius discovers that Friede has decided to stay with him on the moon and they embrace passionately.

Review

It wouldn't be a Fritz Lang film if it didn't last forever. The first hour and a half drag on so slowly. Once they got to the moon, the film became pretty good, but it took way too long for them to get there. of course, this being 1929, a rocket launch to the moon made for some pretty suspenseful drama and excitement. For this Sci-Fi geek (yes, I said Sci-Fi ! Suck it nerds.) the build up to the rocket launch was pretty boring.

And of course, just about every bit of "science", they got wrong. But I won't hold that against the film.

A bit of trive from imdb.com: When the Nazis began working on war rockets, they decided the movie's rockets were too close to the truth. To preserve secrecy, they had the models destroyed and the film withdrawn from release.

My Rating: 6/10
IMDB Rating: 7.4 (671 Votes)
Rotten Tomatoes: 2 Fresh, 1 Rotten
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