It seems quite serendipitous that just as 2011’s ode to the silent film era, The Artist, is receiving all sorts of praise and accolades that Paramount should release its 1927 silent masterpiece, Wings, for the first time on Blu-ray.
Directed by “Wild Bill” Wellman, Wings tells the story of Jack Powell (Charles Rogers) and David Armstrong (Richard Arlen), small town lads who both have their eye on the same lady; Sylvia Lewis (Jobyna Ralston). Jack and David are both vying for the affections of Ms. Lewis, although she solely has her sights set on David. Despite her lack of reciprocation, Jack remains persistent in his pursuit, making him also blind to his lovely neighbor Mary (Clara Bow) practically throwing herself at him at every turn.
It’s not long before the boys get sent off to war, both becoming aviators. What began as a romantic tale quickly becomes one of the most compelling films showcasing male bonding and friendship. While learning to become pilots, the once rivals become nearly inseparable. They also both become top notch fighter pilots along the way. What follows is a tale full of friendship, courage and, sadly, heartbreak, but not entirely the kind you might associate with such a film.
Although the silent era draws many detractors citing “over exaggerating” in most actors, Wings is chock full of some first class acting. With only a random letter card here and there, it’s up to the actors to literally tell the story through actions, and Wings is an incredible example of this being executed at its finest. The initial detest and eventual friendship is so believable between Rogers and Arlen without a single word actually being spoken. Clara Bow, who at the time was the biggest star of any of the leads, takes a bit of a backseat in this one, but manages to do so much with a smaller role, proving she was much more than a pretty face. She’s on a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the film and Bow is able to convey the good and the bad effortlessly.
Not to be outshone by the actors, the films aerial combat is above and beyond exciting. In a move that would be near unheard of in nowadays Hollywood, Wellman had his actors actually flying the planes, with cameras attached in various places. So not only did the actors have to fly, they also had to stay in character while doing so! This makes for some truly incredible shots and some exhilarating action pieces that hold up well against near about anything modern Hollywood brings to the table simply because it’s real. It truly is a sight.
Wellman was not only taking risks with his actor’s lives, but also with cinema itself. Wings was filmed and released pre-code and Wellman took advantage of such freedoms. There are scenes were one can easily make out vulgarities being worded by actors. There’s a fleeting glimpse of Clara Bow’s bare chest that I can only imagine drove everyone wild. This film also features the first cinematic kiss between two men, although it’s far from romantic. Thinking about this being released in 1927 blows my mind and makes me wish I could have witnessed the mass public’s reactions.
High-Def Presentation
Last summer I was able to interview Ron Smith, head of restoration and preservation at Paramount, and he mentioned all of the extensive work that the studio was putting into Wings, and the end product is astounding. Granted, this is an 85-year old movie, so there are definitely a few rough spots here and there that one could only assume is due to the materials available.
Aside from that, this is a truly remarkable transfer. With a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encode, Wings is a thing of beauty. Fine detail is evident all around, most notably on clothes and faces. The film has several tints to it, which is intentional to the original film and is explained in detail in one of the included featurettes on the disc. Taking into consideration all of the surrounding circumstances, I simply can’t say enough about how good this film looks.
And the sound is just as good! The disc features two separate audio tracks. One, which I personally prefer, is a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix that is simply flooring. It not only features complete orchestration, but it also includes sound effects in specific places. Before anyone calls foul on that, it’s explained that these sounds effects were originally included and are listed in production notes making their inclusion help the film be even more accurate to its original intent. This mix takes full advantage of the sound spectrum and makes for an even more immersive experience.
The second track is a Dolby Digital 2.0 mix that is offers a “pipe organ” only option to the film. This is another strong soundtrack and I’m sure many silent fans will appreciate its inclusion, as this was most likely how the film was presented in 1927. It does, however, only feature the pipe organ, so all of the sound effects included in the 5.1 are not included here. It doesn’t make it a worthless track, but it does feel like its missing a little something, especially once you know what could be there.
Beyond The Feature
Although it’s not as loaded with special features as I would have liked, Wings does feature some of the most entertaining and informative featurettes that I’ve seen in a long time. Plus, they’re all in HD!
- Wings: Grandeur in the Sky (HD, 26 mins) – This feature takes a detailed look at Hollywood in the 20’s, the early beginnings of the film and all of the trials and tribulations with making the film. A must watch for fans of the film and general film lovers alike.
- Restoring the Power and Beauty of Wings (HD, 14 mins) -This is how you do a restoration piece! Despite its fairly short running time, this feature highlights all of the extensive and demanding work that went into the restoration of this classic film. It’s beyond thrilling seeing just what all goes in to film restoration, especially one of this magnitude. The disc is worth it for this feature alone.
- Dogfight! (HD, 13 min): A quick look at how airplanes and combat evolved during World War I.
Wings is not only a first rate film that, some 85 years after its release, still holds up against most anything released, it’s also a genuine piece of film history. It carries the high honor of being not only the first film to win the Oscar for best picture, but also remains, at least as of now, the only silent film to ever receive such an honor. The film has features some incredible talent, exhilarating action sequences, and some hints of cinematic rebellion here and there.
Paramount has gone above and beyond for the restoration of Wings for Blu-ray and with the PQ and AQ, it truly shows. This is a must own for any true fan of cinema and serves as a true high watermark in the history of cinema.
– Matt Hardeman
Shop for Wings on Blu-ray for a discounted price at Amazon.com (January 24, 2012 Release Date)
