Wings

On the back of the previous post, I was sorting through some old " stuff " this afternoon and came across an old assignment I wrote when I was in my first semester of film studies at Sheffield Hallam University . The assignment rather pretentiously discussed the " mise en scene" from clips from ancient silent movie WINGS .....which was a cracking love triangle melodrama of its day
Have a look at this clip, which holds up rather well, even by today's sophisticated standards.....
But beware.....get your hankies ready

28 comments:

  1. The music enhances this clip very effectively. "Wings" appeared in 1927.

    ReplyDelete
  2. YP
    Agreed.... Sounds like a film soundtrack but I have no idea which one

    ReplyDelete
  3. The music is perfect with the clip... and I did need a hankie.

    cheers, parsnip

    ReplyDelete
  4. I can only repeat the first comment: "Wow!"

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yes, the music is fitting to the film. Where's my hankie and what a strange looking 'horse' at the end pulling the cart...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Well I got my Kleenex ready, but didn't even get a semi.

    ReplyDelete
  7. That music was gorgeous.........

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have been trying to find out what it was
      It was from the film Bicentenial man apparently

      Delete
  8. Oh John, you big girl's blouse!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As Yoda would say....a big girls' blouse I am

      Delete
  9. Don't worry John, all our old University discussion essays look a bit pretentious in the cold clear light of day decades later.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This was such a great movie! Who would have thought - a silent. I never tire of watching it - so many great scenes. Could they do a movie like this today which invokes so much emotion. As Norma Desmond said: "We didn't need voices, we had faces."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It WAS a powerfully impressive clip was it not

      Delete
  11. Oh my goodness John it's got me blubbing, must be hormonal!! I would love to see the whole film it looks wonderful and the music was stunning.
    Jo xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too jo.......perhaps I am hormonal too

      Delete
  12. My partner and I caught a screening of this with live Wurlitzer accompaniment back when we first started seeing each other. Wings is a wonderful film, and the aerial dogfights are amazing. Plus...Clara Bow.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well it was miles better than BENEATH THE CANDELABRA ...which was a pile of shit....we have just sat through

      Delete
    2. Careful! I'm watching you, J.G.

      Delete
  13. Anonymous9:50 pm

    Thank goodness that sort of of thing didn't catch on.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I will have to see if I can find this movie someplace, that clip was wonderful.

    Cat

    ReplyDelete
  15. *sigh*.
    I love silent movies.
    Jane x

    ReplyDelete
  16. I've heard of that movie so many times but have never seen it. Now I want to see the entire movie. Regarding your question on my blog: What's open day and what kind of t-shirt do you want?

    Love,
    Janie

    ReplyDelete
  17. How beautiful. Imagine them trying to recreate that today??

    ReplyDelete
  18. Had to stop watching half way. Those 'smouldering eyes'...
    Els

    ReplyDelete
  19. No special effects needed there for impact. Wow, what a brilliantly intense piece.

    ReplyDelete
  20. This reminded me of Mom's request that I watch "The Sheik" (1921, with Rudolph Valentino) with her during her last year when she lived with me. She was 100 then, and still sighed over Valentino! The whole family knew of her "crush"; my daughter found the video on eBay, another family member found posters and other mementoes, and she had the book which by then was well-worn and falling apart. I taped stuff back together. The book was autographed by Agnes Ayres, Valentino's co-star. But sitting through that silent film with her was a real kick! While she sighed at the mournful and often horrified eyes, I did my best to keep from laughing at the campiness of it. And yet I did realize that silent film actors had to put so much more into their expressions and body language than today's actors.

    Nancy in Iowa - I miss my Mom!

    ReplyDelete

I love all comments Except abusive ones from arseholes