While Black Moon tends to be met with some harsh criticism for its outdated themes, values, and morals, today it stands as a fascinating relic of its time.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.
