Film Review: Wings (1927)
There are some film historians that claim Top Gun finished shaping the form of modern Hollywood blockbuster, establishing pattern Hollywood to follow to this day. Few generations ago, another film with nearly identical theme also shaped Hollywood history. It was Wings, 1927 silent war epic directed by William A. Wellman, best known as the first film to win Academy Award for Best Picture.
The plot begins in small American town shortly before US entry into First World War. The protagonist, played by Charles “Buddy” Rogers, is Jack Powell, car mechanic who dreams about two things – flying an aeroplane and Sylvia Lewis (played by Jobyna Ralston), beautiful girl that comes from big city. Sylvia is, however, attracted to Jack’s friend David Armstrong (played by Richard Arlen), handsome son of a rich family, while Jack ignores obvious romantic interest of his vivacious neighbour Mary Preston (played by Clara Bow). When the war is declared, both Jack and David enlist and volunteer for US Army Air Service. Following the gruelling training they are shipped to France where they would fly fighter planes and serve as each other’s wingmen, making sure that none of them get shot down by German fighter planes. All that time both men are oblivious over their romantic rivalry towards Sylvia, but when it gets revealed at the eve of Allied “big push” in 1918, it would inadvertently start the chain of events with tragic results.
Paramount Pictures, studio behind Wings, was fortunate to have its film released only months after Lindbergh’s historic flight from New York to Paris, an event that re-sparked interest of public for all things related to still related to still new and fascinating world of aviation. However, even without that, it is all but certain that the audience would have been fascinated with the truly impressive scenes of aerial cinematography and reconstruction of legendary dogfights over the trenches of Western Front. Those scenes are both spectacular and realistic and some of the serious critics were even led to believe that the producers used actual documentary footage made ten years earlier. Wings was directed by the person arguably the most qualified for the job, at least on the account of authenticity. Before coming to Hollywood, William A. Wellman served in French Foreign Legion and joined famous Lafayette Squadron and ended war as highly decorated fighter pilot. His expertise as an aviator was complemented by similar wartime experience of Richard Arlen and two men even taught main star Buddy Rogers to fly in order to have aerial scenes as realistic as possible and without use of stunt doubles. Apart from large budget by Paramount, Wellman could rely on technical and logistical support of US Army which, just like with The Big Parade, another great WW1 spectacle, provided large number of soldiers as extras, as well as planes, vehicles and even Renault FT-17 tanks which were featured prominently in the spectacular scene reconstructing the Battle of Saint-Mihiel.
Another great resource at Wellman’s disposal was his talent and willingness to experiment with various techniques of silent cinema, which has been reaching its zenith. Although not as playful, innovative and visually impressive as Murnau’s Sunrise made at the same time, film uses tracking shots, unusual angles and double exposures and, strangely, this tricks are more noticeable during the scenes depicting quiet interludes than in scenes showing combat. The script by Hope Loring and Louis B. Lighton mostly maintains the balance between realistic portrayal of carnage and destruction (including disturbing scene of German bomber wrecking French village) on one hand, and melodrama and slapstick on the other. While the subplot involving romantic rivalry between two friends somehow works, character of Mary Preston appears to be brought only as an excuse to bring Clara Bow, the greatest star and undisputed sex symbol (or “it girl” as it was called at the time) of silent Hollywood. Bow, an actress known for her colourful private lifem, easily overshadows capable yet somewhat underwhelming Rogers and Arlen with the strength of her vivacious personality. Although realistic in depiction of the war that was still extremely fresh in people’s memory, Wings is in many ways product of its time and the decadence of the Jazz Age could be reflected with in the scenes of Allied servicemen on leave in Paris carousing in Folies Bergere. The scene also depicts openly lesbian couple and Bow even bares her breasts in an extremely brief moment.
But the tone of the film is generally serious and, despite the predictable homage to patriotism and sacrifice, Wings also reflects increasingly pacifist sentiment that was emerging in interwar years. This could be best seen in powerful finale which shows that, even in the moments of greatest triumph, war can ironically turn someone’s heroism into tragedy and leave survivors not only with the sense of loss but feeling of guilt. Bitterness of this realisation isn’t tempered even with predictably happy ending.
All that didn’t matter for the audience which flocked to theatres. Paramount was extremely lucky to release the film only months before The Jazz Singer, a sound film that made even the grand epics like Wings look obsolete overnight. Like so many grand silent films Wings could have been forgotten, and it escaped this fate only by winning the first Oscar. Unlike Clara Bow, whose career ended with arrival of sound, Wellman quickly adapted to new circumstances, just like Gary Cooper, young actor whose had small but prominent role as unfortunate air cadet (and also had tempestuous affair with Bow on the set). But Wings nevertheless deserved its proper place in film history books. Long presumed lost, it was rediscovered and digitally restored, with the latest version being issued by Paramount in 2012.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
Blog in Croatian https://draxblog.com
Blog in English https://draxreview.wordpress.com/
InLeo blog https://inleo.io/@drax.leo
Hiveonboard: https://hiveonboard.com?ref=drax
Rising Star game: https://www.risingstargame.com?referrer=drax
1Inch: https://1inch.exchange/#/r/0x83823d8CCB74F828148258BB4457642124b1328e
BTC donations: 1EWxiMiP6iiG9rger3NuUSd6HByaxQWafG
ETH donations: 0xB305F144323b99e6f8b1d66f5D7DE78B498C32A7
Posted using CineTV