Beholds Spirit Film: 1920s
Wings (1927)
Of all the 1920s films, Wings stands out to me as telling a very human story. Yes, it is very melodramatic and the plot is a bit simplistic for twenty-first century audiences. But it gets to the heart of a good story: two guys fall for the same girl and become rivals. They end up in war, and the very horrible nature of war brings them together as friends and also leads to their downfall.
I like the film’s attempt to show class differences, and ultimately how love and friendship are greater than that.
As a silent movie, the focus is on the story. It is on the emotional state of the various characters, and Wings is a well-done example of how that can be both entertaining and leave you feeling good. You feel good about humanity even as you are sad about the cruelty of fate.
Brian’s Favorite Uplifting Films 1920s
Battleship Potemkin (1926)
A Cottage on Dartmoor (1929)
Diary of a Lost Girl (1929)
The General (1927)
Metropolis (1927)
Sunrise (1927)
Other Notable Films of the 1920s
- The Big Parade (1925)
- The Crowd (1928)
- The Norrtull Gang [Norrtullsligan] (1923)
- The Wind (1928)