Wings

Plot

In small-town America before World War I, Jack Powell is a charismatic young man obsessed with automobiles, while his neighbor David Armstrong comes from a wealthy family. Both men are in love with Sylvia Lewis, who is secretly engaged to David, though neither knows this. Mary Preston, the girl next door, is desperately in love with Jack, who remains oblivious to her affections. When America enters WWI, both Jack and David enlist as pilots in the Air Service, initially as rivals but gradually becoming close friends through the intense training and shared dangers of aerial combat. Their friendship is tested in the skies over France as they become decorated flying aces, leading to a tragic misunderstanding during a dogfight that results in David's death. Jack returns home a war hero, only to finally recognize Mary's unwavering love as he mourns the loss of his best friend.

Historical Background

Wings was produced and released during a pivotal moment in American history and cinema. 1927 was the year Charles Lindbergh completed his historic transatlantic flight, sparking unprecedented public fascination with aviation. The film tapped into this national obsession while also reflecting America's complex relationship with World War I, which had ended less than a decade earlier. The movie was released just months after The Jazz Singer revolutionized cinema with synchronized sound, making Wings one of the last great silent spectacles and a swan song for the art form that had dominated the medium for decades. The film's production coincided with the peak of the Roaring Twenties economic boom, allowing for its then-enormous budget of $2 million. Its release came at a time when Hollywood was establishing itself as the global center of film production, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had just been founded in 1927, making Wings the first film to benefit from and contribute to the new system of industry recognition.

Making Of

The making of Wings was an enormous undertaking that pushed the boundaries of film technology and safety. Director William A. Wellman, a decorated WWI pilot with the Lafayette Flying Corps, insisted on absolute authenticity for the aerial sequences. He secured unprecedented cooperation from the U.S. Army, gaining access to Kelly Field in Texas and hundreds of military personnel. The aerial photography was revolutionary for its time, with cameras mounted directly onto aircraft, sometimes operated by the pilots themselves during flight. Stunt pilots performed death-defying maneuvers, often without parachutes, to capture the thrilling dogfight sequences. The ground sequences were equally ambitious, with the production building full-scale replicas of French villages and utilizing thousands of extras for the battle scenes. The casting process was notable for Clara Bow's involvement; she was Paramount's biggest star but was initially reluctant to take what she perceived as a supporting role. The film's production coincided with the transition to sound, making it one of the last great silent epics and contributing to its historical significance as a bridge between two eras of cinema.

Visual Style

The cinematography of Wings, primarily by Harry Perry, was revolutionary for its time and remains impressive even by modern standards. The aerial sequences employed innovative camera mounting techniques developed specifically for the production, including cameras attached to the wings, fuselage, and landing gear of aircraft. Perry and his team devised a system where pilots could trigger cameras while flying, allowing for unprecedented dynamic shots of aerial combat. The ground-level cinematography was equally sophisticated, utilizing sweeping camera movements and complex tracking shots that were technically challenging in the silent era. The film also features a notable two-strip Technicolor sequence depicting a Parisian nightclub, one of the early uses of color in a feature film. The cinematography effectively contrasts the beauty and freedom of flight with the horror of war, using both intimate close-ups and epic wide shots to create emotional impact. The battle sequences employ multiple cameras and angles to create a sense of chaos and scale that influenced war films for decades.

Innovations

Wings pioneered numerous technical achievements that would influence filmmaking for decades. The aerial cinematography was groundbreaking, requiring the development of specialized camera mounts that could withstand the stresses of flight while maintaining stable images. The production team created a system of synchronized cameras that could capture multiple angles of the same aerial maneuver, allowing for dynamic editing of dogfight sequences. The film utilized large-scale miniature effects for certain explosion sequences, though most flying scenes used real aircraft. The battlefield sequences employed innovative techniques for simulating artillery fire and explosions, using coordinated detonations and smoke effects. The film's two-strip Technicolor sequence, though brief, demonstrated the potential of color cinema. The editing of the aerial sequences was particularly sophisticated for its time, creating tension and excitement through rapid cutting between multiple perspectives. The production also developed new safety protocols for filming dangerous aerial stunts, many of which became industry standards. The film's sound design, though created for a silent film, included innovative techniques for creating realistic sound effects during theatrical presentations.

Music

As a silent film, Wings was originally presented with live musical accompaniment that varied by theater. The official score was composed by J.S. Zamecnik, one of the most prolific composers of silent film music, who created a comprehensive compilation of classical and original pieces synchronized to the on-screen action. The score included adaptations of works by composers like Wagner, Tchaikovsky, and Beethoven, interspersed with Zamecnik's original compositions. Different theaters had varying approaches to presentation, from solo piano accompaniment to full orchestras. The film's restoration includes a newly recorded orchestral score based on Zamecnik's original cue sheets, performed by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra. The music effectively enhances the emotional journey of the characters, with romantic themes for the love story, martial music for the training sequences, and dramatic compositions for the combat scenes. The soundtrack plays a crucial role in conveying the film's emotional depth, particularly during the silent medium's inability to use dialogue or natural sound effects.

Memorable Scenes

• The opening sequence featuring Jack's wild car ride and his subsequent meeting with Mary Preston
• The training montage showing the pilots learning to fly and their early mishaps
• The drunken celebration scene in Paris where Jack and David's friendship is solidified
• The intense dogfight sequences featuring actual aerial combat with real planes
• The tragic final combat scene where Jack accidentally shoots down David
• The emotional hospital scene where Jack realizes his mistake
• The final scene where Jack returns to Mary and finally recognizes her love
• The Technicolor sequence in the Paris nightclub, one of the early uses of color in film
• The massive battle sequences with thousands of extras and realistic explosions
• The scene where Jack visits David's grieving parents to tell them of his death

What Critics Said

Upon its release, Wings received universal critical acclaim, with reviewers particularly praising its spectacular aerial sequences and technical achievements. The New York Times called it 'a picture of extraordinary merit' and 'one of the most impressive photoplays ever produced.' Variety hailed it as 'the greatest war picture ever made' and specifically noted the realism of its flying sequences. Critics were especially impressed by the fact that real planes and pilots were used rather than miniatures or special effects trickery. Modern critics continue to praise the film, with Roger Ebert including it in his Great Movies collection, calling it 'an epic of the air' and noting that 'the aerial sequences are still breathtaking.' The film holds a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics consensus calling it 'a thrilling spectacle with aerial sequences that remain impressive decades later.' Film historians consider it a masterpiece of silent cinema and a landmark in the development of action filmmaking.

What Audiences Thought

Wings was a tremendous commercial success upon its release, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of 1927 and 1928. Audiences were captivated by its thrilling aerial sequences and emotional storyline, with many theaters reporting sell-out crowds for weeks. The film's appeal crossed demographic lines, attracting both young audiences drawn to the action and older viewers who had lived through WWI. Contemporary accounts describe audiences gasping during the dogfight scenes and weeping during the emotional conclusion. The film's success made stars of Charles 'Buddy' Rogers and Richard Arlen, though Clara Bow was already a major attraction. The movie's popularity extended internationally, particularly in countries that had participated in WWI. Despite the transition to sound films occurring soon after its release, Wings continued to draw audiences well into 1929, proving that compelling storytelling and spectacle could transcend technological changes in the medium.

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