"Wings," 1927 - First Best Picture Winner - Thoughts?

Wings is an excellent film. The affection at the end of the film is about brotherhood, love and real lost. Whether Wellman intended to leave it ambiguous as to the sexual nature is unknow. I have always thought that real soldiers in real combat are more connected to their fellow soldiers than anyone else and that everything gets mixed together. But the film is so great to watch. Please never dismiss silent films. Some are masterpieces. And we have only about a quarter that were made because many disintegrated because of the film that was used.

I enjoyed the Paris sequence where Clara Bow has to dress up as a floozy to save Richard Arlen from wanton women!

Was Clara Bow Faye or Helen?

I'm sure some of us here saw it on its original run in theaters.

It’s a classic, but the best film of that year was Munrau’s Sunrise. That was the only year they had two categories—Best Picture and Best Artistic Achievement (or something like that. Wings won the former, Sunrise the latter.

R1 I would never dismiss silent films. I just find that many fail to hold my attention.

"Wings," however, had me riveted from beginning to end. It didn't need a lot of dialogue to tell its story. The version I saw on TCM was beautifully restored and crystal clear, too.

R5 I loved "Sunrise," too. Another example of cinematography and storytelling that was way ahead of its time. It also didn't hurt that it starred the incredibly gorgeous George O'Brien.

R2 The whole Folies Bergere sequence was a wonder to watch, right up to poor Clara Bow being kicked out of her army job for doing nothing more than trying to get the man she loved back to his unit.

Although there were two women vying for the affections of the men in this movie, to me, it was really a love story between the two men. Not necessarily in a sexual sense, but these two characters obviously knew more about each other and shared more with each other than either woman in the film.

Their final scene together is so touching and devastating and so authentic. The two actors were just amazing in that scene.

Also, the scene where Jack returns home and visits David's parents was heartbreaking.

Such a beautiful film.

R9 I thought of Brokeback Mountain when I saw the scene where Jack visits David's parents.

I wonder if Ang Lee was inspired by Wings when he directed the scene where Ennis visits Jack Twist's parents. They're both very similar, the main difference is that in Wings, Jack gives David's parents a memento of David's, whereas in Brokeback Mountain, Jack's mom gives Ennis a memento.

And Gary Cooper in his first "major" role in that he's given a title credit, even if he is listed 6th or something, and has about two minutes screen time but he had enough presence to get noticed by audiences and studios.

Wings is a classic film -very moving and relatable all these decades later. I know many people refuse to watch black-and-white, let alone silent films, but they are missing out. These films predate the Hollywood film codes, and many depict gay and lesbian characters, full frontal male and female nudity, and other unexpected visuals. Silent films demand that you give your full attention -Something people are no longer used to. Many pay off with great stories, visuals, and acting that fully engages you. Give Wings a try! You also might enjoy the original 1925 Ben-Hur with Ramon Novarro.

This scene in the Folies Bergere is incredible. Watch for the lesbians!

"I know many people refuse to watch black-and-white, let alone silent films."

Considering that half of film history is in black and white, I find it hard to believe that anyone would "refuse to watch black-and-white film.

[R14] doesn't know many young people, clearly!

I find it's not young people but Boomers and my fellow GenXers who complain about black & white movies, subtitles, silents, etc. Up until very recently most people were generally not favorable to any of that. The film writers of those generations who watched old movies were the outliers, most others didn't.

Oddly, even my Silent Generation parents looked down on old movies too. I lent them a Cary Grant movie once and they were both scoffing at how old it was, even though they were already alive when it was filmed.

I have been a teacher for thirty-five years. When I taught middle school, the first question I always got when I announced a film was, "Is this gonna be in black and white?" Followed by a lot of moaning and groaning if the answer was yes. I finally had to create a mini-unit on the subject, showing students that old technology didn't have to mean old ideas or boring. Pretty much guaranteed to win them over was watching an episode or two of the old George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. The room was filled with laughter! Eventually I would get to the point where students would trust me -That I wasn't going to show them something boring. You can't blame young people for being skeptical about things written or created before their time. Why should anyone automatically think they will be able to relate to a 500-year-old Shakespeare play or a hundred-year-old war movie? Like anything else, you have to learn that black-and-white doesn't automatically mean bad -or good. Silent doesn't either. If you provide some good experiences with older films, literature, or music, students leave with an open mind, willing to try something out for themselves.

R15, half my friends (and all my co-workers) are under 30.

The only gay thing about this film is the two lesbians sitting in the bar; there was ZERO sexual chemistry between the two leads (who both played typical douchebro characters) and the only reason one of them is so distraught in that clip is because it was him who accidentally killed the other one. Some people try to portray this film as a gay classic of some sort and that couldn't be further from the truth.

R19 Well, thank you for your bitter review of a movie that not a single person on this thread called a "gay classic." You okay, sweetie?

We discuss this movie every 6 months and this movie is about 1/16 as interesting as Top Gun. The scene between the dying friends is lovely. The stunts and photography impressive. That about covers it. See you in 6 months, dolls!

R21 No, dear. Don't bother to come back.

R22 I'll be back. Now I must go shame the people who think The Queen, 1968 documentary, is some recently unearthed great cinematic gem that everyone simply must see. As if wee haven't already seen it decades ago and discussed it every 6 months on DL, as well. Ta, dolls!

Was that young, nubile Helen Lawson as a chorus girl??

I used to work at a video store and we always had to alert people to videos that were in black and white so we didn’t get complaints when they were returned.

The old classics weren’t really that much of a deal, but movies made in black and white AFTER the color era began were always rife with complaints. Woody Allen, Raging Bull, and I think Time Bandits always were returned with complaints.

People are stupid.

Cinema died with the coming of sound.

Really, R23, your input isn't needed. Please take your upturned nose to your Palm Springs coffee clatch and share your infinite wisdom about all things celluloid with the people you call your friends. You know - the people who roll their eyes at you when you're not looking.

The intensity of that death scene can be explained by the situation, but not the constant stroking by each of them of the other's hair. That's an "intimate partner" gesture. Just touching someone else's head is a big liberty to take, let alone that kind of stroking. It says "I can't lose you", and it says it on both sides, not just from the guilty one. So I can see why people think it's gay.

R28 Regardless of how you interpret it, it was a beautiful scene and heartbreaking in its authenticity. One of the most moving moments I've ever seen on film.

r25 Blame some of that on the movie studios who release videocassettes and DVDs of black-and-white movies with color photos on the boxes.

By the way, Richard Arlen was gorgeous in his heyday. Here he is shirtless from "The Man I Love" (1929). He was 30 years old at the time.

And one more of Arlen from the same picture, this time with his co-star Mary Brian. Very hot.