SaturnCity

When the film was shot, no information apart from earthbound observation had been available about Venus. Astronomers knew the composition of the higher atmosphere and some physical characteristics but nothing about the surface which is always hidden under thick layers of clouds. Then it was kind of a mysterious, impenetrable twin Earth bearing unimaginable secrets. Many (Western) sci-fi films handled the pre-spacefaring Venus in quite trivial ways. Although 'Planeta Bur' also represents a fantastical vision of Venus, the depiction of the surface with its orangeish haze and those granitic rocks was surprisingly accurate. The many details and the delightful photography made the film worthwhile. There's also a nice thriller element to the plot. The ending is still one of the eeriest, most bizarre scenes in all science fiction cinema. It is easily one of the better sci-fi entries of the early 1960s.

The film probably should have raised public interest in Venus exploration as in 1962 the ill-fated second generation of Venus probes was underway. None of them would ultimately reach its goal, only a few years after would the umpteenth attempt succeed. Fun fact: 23 years after the film, Soviet spacecraft called "Vega" really touched down on Venus.

Whereas the background story about an ageing astronaut who has found something or someone on the Moon proved sufficiently effective despite not being resolved satisfyingly, the plot around teenage love stories and trite father-son relationships did the film no real favour. On the other hand did the film avoid entering into the domain of hard sci-fi, making it accessible and even enjoyable for a wider audience. Unfortunately, the photography, score and direction were mediocre at best. The acting wasn't really bad but the performances aren't memorable, either. The film is hard to recommend because there's too little science fiction for fans of this genre and unnecessarily much for audiences interested in personal relationships. As a cinematic product, the film is quite negligible.