It was 1927, Lindbergh had just crossed the Atlantic and the American public had all temporarily gone "plane crazy". It was also the pinnacle of an era (that began with the earliest epics and lasted until the Great Depression) when special effects meant doing everything for real, no matter how gargantuan the task. In practise this tended to mean building things and then, one way or another, blowing them up. In the case of Wings, the first in a series of popular aviation movies, this means everything from rural villages to gas-filled airships. The fact that very little here is faked lends the pictures of this time an exciting realism that has rarely been equalled since.
Director William Wellman was a good choice for a movie about aerial combat, having been a flyer himself during the war. Whether or not his knowledge was of practical use, he certainly retained a love of speed and action which informs his style behind the camera, keeping the motion of the picture going. Sometimes this is for the benefit of the story – such as the attention-grabbing introductions of Charles Rogers rolling over to look at the sky or Clara Bow peeping through her washing line. Other times, it seems simply to keep up the spirit of manly go-getting; for example when El Brendel shows of his Stars and Stripes tattoo, he doesn't simply role up his sleeve, he leaps to his feet and knocks over the chair. For the scenes in Paris, Wellman always keeps lots of movement going on in the background even though the action itself is more sedate. And despite the almost constant pace, he is still able to make certain moments stand out, displaying a really imaginative approach at times. He shoots the Gotha bomber from below and in shadow, making it look like a monster emerging from its lair.
Wings sees notorious floozy Clara Bow in one of her few screen appearances that does not revolve around her sexuality (although that does get a brief look-in). Nevertheless her vivacious personality stands out, and she makes an eye-catching and likable heroine, very much in contrast to the more traditional-looking Jobyna Ralston, who plays the "other" girl. The lead men, Charles Rogers and Richard Arlen, don't seem exactly amazing when considered individually and yet the rapport between them becomes intensely apparent, and it is they who bring poignancy to some of the later scenes. While little of the acting is exceptionally good, none of it is exceptionally bad either, with a tendency towards understatement that was rare in silent movies. Even Rogers's bubble-obsessed drunk act isn't too cringeworthy. By the way, Gary Cooper fans should be wary, as Wings is sometimes touted as a Cooper movie, although he was just a bit player at the time and his appearance here is only slightly longer than that of Clara Bow's breasts.
Although it's long been difficult to see a copy of, Wings is still well-known among buffs for being the Academy Awards' first Best Picture. At the time however the award was called "Outstanding Production", which actually seems like the more fitting term. Back then, the Oscars were very even-handed, with few pictures being awarded or even considered for more than one. Wings does not contain the best performances, the best writing or the best anything. It is however a picture that is most impressive as a complete package. It is ultimately one of the crowning achievements of silent era movie production.
Director William Wellman was a good choice for a movie about aerial combat, having been a flyer himself during the war. Whether or not his knowledge was of practical use, he certainly retained a love of speed and action which informs his style behind the camera, keeping the motion of the picture going. Sometimes this is for the benefit of the story – such as the attention-grabbing introductions of Charles Rogers rolling over to look at the sky or Clara Bow peeping through her washing line. Other times, it seems simply to keep up the spirit of manly go-getting; for example when El Brendel shows of his Stars and Stripes tattoo, he doesn't simply role up his sleeve, he leaps to his feet and knocks over the chair. For the scenes in Paris, Wellman always keeps lots of movement going on in the background even though the action itself is more sedate. And despite the almost constant pace, he is still able to make certain moments stand out, displaying a really imaginative approach at times. He shoots the Gotha bomber from below and in shadow, making it look like a monster emerging from its lair.
Wings sees notorious floozy Clara Bow in one of her few screen appearances that does not revolve around her sexuality (although that does get a brief look-in). Nevertheless her vivacious personality stands out, and she makes an eye-catching and likable heroine, very much in contrast to the more traditional-looking Jobyna Ralston, who plays the "other" girl. The lead men, Charles Rogers and Richard Arlen, don't seem exactly amazing when considered individually and yet the rapport between them becomes intensely apparent, and it is they who bring poignancy to some of the later scenes. While little of the acting is exceptionally good, none of it is exceptionally bad either, with a tendency towards understatement that was rare in silent movies. Even Rogers's bubble-obsessed drunk act isn't too cringeworthy. By the way, Gary Cooper fans should be wary, as Wings is sometimes touted as a Cooper movie, although he was just a bit player at the time and his appearance here is only slightly longer than that of Clara Bow's breasts.
Although it's long been difficult to see a copy of, Wings is still well-known among buffs for being the Academy Awards' first Best Picture. At the time however the award was called "Outstanding Production", which actually seems like the more fitting term. Back then, the Oscars were very even-handed, with few pictures being awarded or even considered for more than one. Wings does not contain the best performances, the best writing or the best anything. It is however a picture that is most impressive as a complete package. It is ultimately one of the crowning achievements of silent era movie production.