Review of Wings (1966) by Ethan W — 31 Aug 2015

Decided to watch this old film due to it being the first ever recipient of the Academy Award for Best Picture. As I've never watched a silent film before (or much of anything from this era) I didn't know what to expect and I'll admit my expectations weren't set too high. I'm glad to say that I thought the movie was great, especially considering the limitations of the time. While the backstory of two young men competing for one woman's affections came off to me as fluff that never really seemed important, the awesome aerial combat footage more than made up for it. The movie was directed by William Wellman who was a WWI combat pilot himself so I would expect nothing less. I found Jack and David's characters likeable and I didn't mind Clara Bow's part, Mary, though I did think she was a sort of a pathetic creature. And speaking of Jack; just how drunk, exactly, do you have to be to see bubbles shooting out of women's faces and bed posts? Damn man.

Overall, great movie. The dogfighting and combat were engaging, action packed, and had an amazingly authentic feel like you were really watching First World War combat footage. I recommend.