Wings

Directed by William A. Wellman, Wings follows two friends (Charles Rogers’ Jack and Richard Arlen’s David) as they enlist in the Army Air Service during the First World War. Filmmaker Wellman, armed with a script by Hope Loring and Louis D. Lighton, delivers a watchable yet palpably padded-out war picture that benefits from its ongoing emphasis on agreeable story developments, as the movie’s decidedly familiar narrative has been augmented with a whole host of compelling digressions and subplots – including a terrific third act that hardly unfolds as one might’ve initially anticipated. (It’s a vibe that’s enhanced by the presence of a thoroughly surprising final-stretch twist.) It’s equally clear, however, that Wings‘ overlong running time does result in a midsection riddled with unfortunately bumps and lulls, with this especially true of a long portion detailing the protagonists’ less-than-enthralling aerial exploits, and yet there’s little doubt that Wellman’s stylish approach (eg the spellbinding Folies Bergère sojourn) goes a long way towards sustaining one’s interest even through certain lackluster interludes – thus cementing the film’s place as am unquestionably ahead-of-its-time endeavor that could (and should) have been significantly streamlined.

**1/2 out of ****