Wings (1927)
100 %
Reviews Counted: 24 Fresh: 24 Rotten:0 Average Rating: 7.8/10
Consensus:
Subsequent war epics may have borrowed heavily from the original Best Picture winner, but they've all lacked Clara Bow's luminous screen presence and William Wellman's deft direction.
Runtime: 2 hrs 19 mins
Synopsis: WINGS was the first film ever made that graphically captured the emotional combination of freedom and fear of flying in combat. Director William Wellman drew on his years in an elite flying squadron and pushed the cinematic technology of the day to its limit when he created this film's... [More]
Genre: Action/Adventure
Starring: Clara Bow, Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Richard Arlen, Gary Cooper
Director: William Wellman
Buy It On DVD
Reviews
The first Oscar winner for Best Picture was also the only silent film to win the Oscar.
Comment
02/29/08
There not being so much of Clara Bow in the picture, or a straining for her to turn on that 'it' personality, she gives an all around corking performance.
02/19/08
Top Critic
It won the first Academy Award for best picture back in 1927, establishing a tradition of silliness that hasn't been broken to this day, but there is some thrilling flying footage and impressively expensive spectacle.
12/12/06
Top Critic
Above par effects (for the time) matched with decent performances make for a modestly entertaining picture.
10/05/06
Long touted as a classic by cinema historians, and justifying almost every adjectival extravagance.
01/26/06
The first collaborative effort between Holywood and the Air Force, Wings enjoyed the administration's support on the condition that it projects a positive image of the military, emphasizing male camaraderie and heroism.
08/27/05
An early buddies-go-to-war story that still echoes in today's movies.
03/16/04
The main attraction for this movie is the aerial fight sequences. They’re some of the most exciting combat scenes I’ve seen, and this is for a film that was made in 1927!
07/01/03
The airborne stunts, even to this day, are quite breathtaking and have rarely been surpassed; just as notable are the land-based war sequences, in particular a trench that collapses with devastating consequences.
05/24/03
Clara Bow and Buddy Rogers develop their characters and bring far more life to the screen than anyone in the forgettable Bruckheimer-Bay rip-off WWII love story
09/01/02
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