Moon Fantasy

One scene discussed in Rentschler’s article about Munchhausen that struck me the most was the moon scene. Rentschler discussed the significance of the fantasy planet where women’s heads could be separated from their bodies so that the men would not have to worry about promiscuity and the women would be able to stay home and do housework. This reading did not even cross my mind as I was viewing the film but it is interesting to discuss in terms of the Nazi fantasy of male domination. While I can definitely see this reading, I wonder what the role of the moon in the film says about this fantasy.

The flight to the moon is obviously not a realistic venture, as one could not fly in a hot-air balloon and end up landing right on the moon. In fact, the moon setting is so unrealistic and mocking that it cannot be considered to be a plausible reality. Additionally, man cannot survive on the moon for very long (except for Munchhausen) because each day is a year. These facts seem to suggest that the idea of the ideal woman (whose head can be separated from her body) who can be controlled and monitored is not only implausible but also undesirable. While that one aspect of the moon can be read as being in line with Nazi fantasy, because it is combined with quick aging, a lack of appropriate nourishment and a short life span, it becomes undesirable and may not be able to be viewed as an attractive fantasy. Perhaps this means that the ideal is unattainable or it could even be mocking it but it does not seem to me that the film portrays it in a positive light.