It's funny that until recently I hadn't heard of this film even though I am a huge fan of silent films and talkies. This is even more surprising because the film was so good--being one of the very best early sci-fi films. In fact, aside from director Lang's more famous METROPOLIS, it is probably the best full-length silent sci-fi film you can find. And in so many ways it is very unlike METROPOLIS because the film seems rather plausible! It seemed that those who made WOMAN IN THE MOON really wanted to make a film that looked like a realistic film about the first moon landing. Considering that the film came out in 1929, I think it did a really good job of trying to get it right. Of course, the details weren't exactly right, but you could sure tell that Lang consulted with astrophysicists and other scientists to get it as close as they could to reality. The actual take-off, for example, was simply breath-taking--looking pretty realistic and using models that looked amazingly real even today!! Seeing the enormous-looking rocket being ferried to the launchpad was spectacular and just plain cool.

While this attention to details COULD have made the film very dull and documentary-like, the addition of the subplots really lifted it in mood and made it very engaging. The hero of the story and his mentor are actually threatened by a cartel of five evil robber barons who want to take over this private space program! So, out of a desire not to be killed, they are forced to take along an agent of this cartel--who turns out to be destined to wipe out all those on the ship and take back gobs of gold to his evil masters! As a result, the film was infused with some excellent action and suspense.

So my final verdict is that this silent film is simply amazing and worth seeing by anyone who is patient enough to watch a silent film without whining. Plus, historically speaking, this film is a true treasure--see it an be amazed.

Silent films have always intrigued me, not all of them have held up but even then it is not to not appreciate what they tried to do. Those that do hold up though manage to be good and more films, and the best remarkable for their time and influential in cinema and their genres. Also like to love a lot of Fritz Lang's work, his best and most influential being 'Metropolis' and 'M' and 'You Only Live Once' and 'Scarlet Street' are also fabulous films.

'The Woman in the Moon' is not one of the best silent films. It is not one of Lang's best. And it is not one of the best of its genre. Other films at the time in all three respects have aged better by today's standards and in no way is that meant to sound ignorant or disrespectful, just my thoughts. 'The Woman in the Moon' is though very interesting if lesser Lang, with a number of standout things that still impress. In no way is it a bad film and really do appreciate the amount of effort that went into it.

It is a fairly easy film to criticise. It does have quite severe pacing problems, the overstretching of the plot really making the film drag badly. What would have made things better was if the film was much shorter as it does feel at least half an hour too long.

What particularly made 'The Woman in the Moon' feel like that was the romance, which is really not all that interesting, is pretty simplistic and is quite melodramatic. Further disadvantaged by being over-acted to the heavens by the actors. The professor character is also on the histrionic side.

Conversely, 'The Woman in the Moon' is hugely impressive visually still. There is a lot of atmospheric and very stylish camera work and the design and effects still look imaginative and like a lot of creativity went into making them. The take-off especially is pretty jaw-dropping in this aspect. Lang's direction shows enough flashes of brilliance, with some inspired sinister touches. The later interpolated music score is haunting and moves things along with a good sense of pace and atmosphere.

Although narratively the story is inconsistent, there are fine moments with the more scientific space-oriented element to it actually being quite intriguing and leaving one in awe. The build up to the take-off has tension, and, on top of being the most visually inspired the film gets, the take-off itself evokes thrills and jaws will likely drop looking at how good it still looks and how creatively it's handled.

On the whole, interesting but uneven and lesser Lang. 6/10

Professor Georg Manfeldt proposes gold to be found in the mountains of the moon and he's met with derision. He is kicked out of the scientific community and becomes a hermit. Mr. Helius is an entrepreneur obsessed with space travel and finds a fellow dreamer in Manfeldt. His assistants Windegger and Friede announces their engagement although Manfeldt is secretly in love with Friede. He is blackmailed by an evil gang and Turner forces his way onto the team. The rocket crew consists of Windegger, Friede, Manfeldt, Turner, and stowaway boy Gustav.

It takes way too long to get to the moon. The full length version is over three hours. Maybe a tighter cut would be more compelling. The technical predictive value of the movie is impressive. Director Fritz Lang is letting the technical take over the story telling. The problem is that the technical aspect is not the most artistic unlike Metropolis. The art of the future in this is not as awe inspiring. Also, the human story isn't as epic. It is the simplest of love triangles and I don't like the criminals in this. I don't care for their motivation. Overall, there is good technical value but the length is a problem.