Black Moon

In my unhealthy quest to see every available Fay Wray film, I picked up a copy of this off of Ebay, and I was very happy I did.

The Good: The film has a very dark mood to it, very much like the later film, "I Walked with a Zombie". Settings and locations are similar, and there are scenes and sets that look a lot like that later film. The overall feeling of doom is here, and the climactic scene is very well done. The scenes of the voodoo ceremonies really shine in this film, and although not a true horror flick, this satisfies with some eerie shots and creepy touches.

The Bad: I am not a Jack Holt fan. In my opinion he is the weakest part of the film. Also, there were some very good shots in the film. Some odd angles with good lighting. There were times, however, when the direction seemed uninspired and timid with this strong material. Almost like two directors had a hand in it.

Overall this is a fine film that deserves a good cleanup and DVD release.

Black Moon (1934)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Twenty-plus years after her parents were murdered in a voodoo ritual, a woman (Dorothy Burgess) travels back to the native land where the people there want her to start up as their leader. The woman's secretary (Fay Wray) wires her husband (Jack Holt) to come and try to save her but it might be too late. This forgotten horror film from Columbia falls somewhere between WHITE ZOMBIE and I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE so fans of those two films will certainly want to check this out. As far as I'm concerned, I'm not a major fan of all three films as I think they all have a great atmosphere but in the end their stories just aren't strong enough to carry the films for me. There's a lot of stuff that does work here with the biggest plus being the atmosphere created by the director. We really get the feeling as if we're on this island surrounded by the strange locals and in the middle of something evil. There's no fog machines but that doesn't keep Neill away from delivering the goods as the dark tone of the film also hits on something that the Val Lewton films would eventually do and that's the use of shadows. Another plus is some fine cinematography as well as a nice performance by Holt. Wray, the original Scream Queen, is good too, although, as usual, she isn't given enough to do. What doesn't work, for one, is the performance of Burgess who is easy on the eyes but her character is badly underwritten. Another problem is the actual screenplay that really doesn't offer any twist or turns up until the very end when the movie does go in a direction that you wouldn't normally expect.

"I Walked with a Zombie" may not have been the first Voodoo film adapted from Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre," which is not surprising when you consider the West Indies was where Edward Rochester courted his mad wife. Perhaps it's a stretch, but "Black Moon" seems to contain several plot elements from Bronte's novel as Stephen Lane—whose West Indian born wife is drifting into madness—forms a close personal bond with his secretary.

When the wife (Dorothy Burgess), under the influence of a Voodoo curse, returns to her childhood home in the West Indies, Lane's secretary (Fay Wray) accompanies her. Lane (Jack Holt) soon follows. Here the secretary becomes a substitute mother for Stephen's child, recalling a similar relationship between Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester's ward Adele. Also, Stephen, like Edward Rochester, can finally have the woman he truly loves only when his wife dies as a result of her madness, in this case leading a native uprising.

Judging from other comments about this being a good example of pre-code horror, my expectations were high. But the director and writers never adequately explored the terror of situations. There are no build-ups of suspense. Things just happen. People are found dead after the fact. Killings and Voodoo sacrifices that happen on-screen are clumsily directed. Nevertheless, performances are uniformly good, the script is literate, and there are a few moments of cinematic art. The print I saw on Turner Classic Movies is very clean; and I was impressed by Joe August's cinematography in the scene in the tower as it filled with smoke from the burning tunnel. The interplay of light and smoke created an eerie atmosphere that I wish had been made more of.

While Black Moon tends to be met with some harsh criticism for its outdated themes, values, and morals, today it stands as a fascinating relic of its time. Though some might argue that its portrayal of racism and cultural misunderstandings feels uncomfortable by today's standards, the film nonetheless represents important historical themes that still hold significant relevance. Its eerie atmosphere and compelling narrative make it an unsettling yet captivating experience, one that deserves more acceptance from film enthusiasts and critics alike.

The film doesn't linger. Its one-hour and eight-minute runtime keeps the audience engaged and the story steadily churning along. The tension between the whites and the blacks feels hauntingly plausible, as it highlights how feelings of resentment, power, and fear can fester and manifest in destructive ways, epitomized by the concept of "Mob Rule."

In today's world, which hasn't entirely improved, we've tried to create diversity and inclusion for all types of people, but we have somehow lost ourselves in the process of understanding the lessons history can teach us.

Black Moon isn't just a product of its time; it challenges us to reflect on the uncomfortable truths that still echo in our world today.

As already discussed the film features a fair share of racism, white superiority, and the mystique of "voodoo." These elements, while still uncomfortable today, would likely have been utterly terrifying to audiences at the time, as many of these themes were rooted in fear of the unknown.

Moving from the racial tensions in the film to its portrayal of fashion, one thing is clear: the clothing of the era is undeniably elite. We've never come close to matching that style and elegance in the last hundred years.

As for the film itself, which is full of dark mystery and intrigue, Black Moon doesn't explain the details of the beliefs of the natives but still provides enough clarification on their objective: human sacrifice, heightened by the haunting beat of the jungle drums.

Riddled with "tobacco smoke and hair tonic," Stephen Jack Holt plays a successful businessman whose powerful, unbreakable bond with his daughter Nancy is at the core of the film.

The film also likes to bring in a vague undertone of the Secretary Gail played by Fay Wray and her romantic interests in the father Stephen, her motherly and protective instincts and caring nature make her a highly valued women.

Dorothy Burgess who plays Juanita seems a bit off from the beginning, she harbours immense traits of a split personality with hidden anger and resentment. And with the slow beat of the drums transforms from mother and wife, to a voodoo queen in the full moon.

In the last twenty minutes, I felt tense and anxious. I sat in utter anticipation that the worst possible outcome was about to occur. Very few films make you feel emotionally engaged, but when young children are involved, and as a relatively new father, it hits a new type of agonizing fear.

Nancy who goes through that traumatic experience in the final scenes with her mother Juanita, I felt heartbroken for the level of trust that may never return after an ordeal so insatiably cruel.

If that were my Daughter, I would have, without hesitation, confronted the situation and all those involved with overwhelming force, seeking retribution for every native involved in such a heinous act of barbarism.

Overall, Black Moon is an enticing film that deserves a little more recognition, offering valuable historical insights that still appeal today, and I'm glad it hasn't been totally erased from history, but I fear it will never get its proper appreciation.

7/10.

I'm not sure, but Black Moon may be the first horror film to be set in the West Indies and focus on voodoo. Of course, it would be the Val Lewton/Jacques Tourneur film I Walked With a Zombie that would go on to become the best known early example; but Black Moon is still a worthy effort. The plot focuses on a woman born in the West Indies. She left at the age of two when her parents were sacrificed in a voodoo ritual, but apparently she is under some curse and decides to return to the island. She takes along her husband, nanny, daughter and his secretary and upon returning to the island, is elevated to the level of a God by the locals; which leads to danger for her family. The film was obviously made on a low budget as it all looks very cheap throughout. This improves once the film reaches the West Indies as the location shoots take some of the focus off the cheap looking sets seen earlier on in the film. The film is very slow burning and takes a while to get going, but once it does it's constantly interesting. Director Roy William Neill (who would of course go on to become best known for his Sherlock Holmes films) does well at implementing the atmosphere needed to ensure that the film is successful. It has to be said that there isn't a great deal of tension in the early parts of the film; but this is made up for by the ending which is strong. Overall, I wouldn't quite say that this film is a classic; but it will certainly be of interest for fans of thirties horror.