Quick Reaction: Wings

I haven't had a real project in a while. I mean, I have a super complex spreadsheet of movies with a whole rating system for figuring out what to watch next, but I've been lacking that "let's get to the end of the list" mission. I think seeing all Best Picture Oscar winners will be that now, at least among the Netflix DVDs I get delivered. I'm doing pretty well already. I've seen the last 35ish winners, going back to Gandhi as the most recent winner I haven't seen. Really, this means I've got a lot of the 30s-50s to watch.

Wings is famously the first Best Picture winner*, and that's about all you need to know about it. It's got some cool aerial battles, especially considering the filming limitations in 1927. It was also nice to see a Clara Bow movie finally. I know her name, but I've never seen anything with her before this. Otherwise, like most years, this Best Picture winner reflects what mattered to the film industry at the time more than what was really the best movie (I'd absolutely take Sunrise over Wings). In that way, this war epic is interesting. I'm also weirdly fascinated seeing war movies from before WWII, when WWI was actually seen as "The War to End all Wars". It's a weird historical context that I don't ever think about.

*OK, technically the award was split that first year. There was Outstanding Picture won by Wings and generally considered "Best Picture". Then there was Best Unique and Artistic Picture, won by Sunrise, which is a category that never returned.

Verdict: Weakly Don't Recommend