The Wings (film)

Infobox Film
name = The Wings
director = Mauritz Stiller
writer = Axel Esbensen,
Mauritz Stiller
starring = Egil Eide,
Lars Hanson,
Lili Bech,
Julius Hälsig
cinematography = Julius Jaenzon
distributor = Svenska Biografteatern
released = 1916
runtime = 69 min.
(at 18 f.p.s.)
country = flagicon|Sweden Sweden
language = Swedish
imdb_id = 0007522

"The Wings", or "Vingarne" to use the original Swedish title, is a 1916 silent film directed by Mauritz Stiller, perhaps best known for his 1921 film "Sir Arne's Treasure" and as the discoverer of Greta Garbo.

It is based on Herman Bang's 1902 novel "Mikaël", which was the same source Carl Theodor Dreyer used for his 1924 film "Michael". The story is that of a conniving countess (played by Lili Bech) coming between a gay sculptor, Claude Zoret (Egil Eide), and his bisexual model and lover, Mikaël (Lars Hanson), ultimately leading to Zoret's death in a raging storm at the base of a statue of Mikaël as the mythological Icarus.

Apart from being a very early gay-themed film, it is also notable for its innovative use of a framing story and telling the plot primarily through the use of flashbacks.

The film is largely lost, with only half an hour surviving of the original 70 minute film. A restoration was made using still photos and title cards to bridge the missing sections in 1987.

External links

*imdb title|id=0007522|title=Vingarne