Vingarne

Vingarne is based on Herman Bang's novel Mikael. For a long time, it was thought to be the earliest surviving film made by Mauritz Stiller.

It is also known for the fluidity of its editing, and for the odd framework story, which draws away one's attention from the film's real story, and therefore lessens its impact. The framework story is about how they made Vingarne. It begins with Mauritz Stiller making preparations for the filming, and takes us to the film premiere. It wraps up with a bit of comic business in the lead actress's house.

Today, all that survives of this framework story are a few grainy stills, but it is still enough to distract the viewer from what the film, Vingarne, is actually about. Why?

One theory is that the framework story exists to keep viewers from noticing Vingarne's cleverly hidden homosexual themes. These themes are clearly present in the novel Mikael. Its author, Herman Bang, was homosexual. Vingarne's scriptwriter was homosexual. Nils Asther, the young actor who doesn't get the part of the lead in the film in the framework story, because he appears "too young and inexperienced" when he kisses the lead actress, was homosexual. So, reportedly, was Mauritz Stiller. There are good reasons to look for homosexual subtext in Vingarne.

However, as another reviewer on this site has noted, there is barely anything like that there. Why would Mauritz Stiller want to gloss it over, if he had those leanings himself?

Swedish film is known for having challenged conservative standards with depictions of sex on the screen as early as the 1950's. But at the time when Mauritz Stiller was active, the Swedish film industry had a government-controlled film censorship bureau which was so strict that some Chaplin films were banned. Mauritz Stiller's films had been censored many times. He knew he wouldn't be allowed to make a film containing homosexual themes. But I think he did manage to slip in a few suggestive details into this one.

The most obvious thing in Vingarne is in its title. Vingarne, 'wings', refers to the sculpture which the older man is making of his younger friend. It depicts young Ganymedes getting kidnapped by Zeus in the form of an eagle. If you are not familiar with the myth, look it up.

I have just seen the restoration of what remains of Mauritz Stiller's film, and I found it very watchable and that the gay element has to be read between the lines. It is clear that the sculptor Claude Zoret was attracted to the model and artist Eugene Mikael, and that to have made it clearer, given the anti-gay sentiments of the time would have been impossible. When, for example, Zoret dies Mikael clearly rejects the Countess and appears fully conscious that he brought on Zoret's death. As for the film itself what remains of the narrative I found to be fluid, and occasionally only falling into the gestures of melodrama. Stiller had an eye for detail, and the work of sculpture that the two men produced of Icarus who flew too near the sun was erotic enough to show male genitalia. Glimpses too of Mikael's naked body are also seen in the background. As for the Countess who comes between them she turns her infatuated Mikael into a go-between for Zoret's money, so that he in return looks like a kept man. This adds to the emotional and physical destruction of Zoret. A complex web of intrigue and passion on all sides is well conveyed, and the death alone of Zoret beneath the statue of Icarus a stroke of genius. Dreyer's film ' Mikael ' that came later is arguably the better film, but this was a brave first attempt to take on a taboo issue. A deserved 10.

During his silent career, Herr Mauritz Stiller had no problem with different film genres; he moved easily ( as does this German count who flirts with a fat Teutonic rich heiress and then goes to a fatter and-even better- richer one ) from sophisticated, elegant comedies of intrigue, to drama, historical or epic films, as well as literary adaptations. One of the latter is "Vingarne" (1916) ( The Wings ), based on the book "Mikäel" written by Herr Herman Bang. Years later, namely in 1924, the Danish Herr Carl Theodor Dreyer did a successful version for the silent screen using the novel's title.

Herr Stiller's film adaptation of the novel excludes absolutely the homoerotic component that is evident in Herr Dreyer's "Mikäel" and that was likely part of the book as well, a novel that this German count hasn't read due to the great effort that exercise causes to the delicate aristocratic body. Herr Stiller's film focuses exclusively on the conventional although intricate story about the problems that the sculptor Zoret ( Herr Egil Eide ) has with Mikäel (Herr Lars Hanson), a young friend who poses for a sculpture of "Icarus". The model accidentally meets a capricious countess ( Frau Lili Bech ) who needs to spend a lot of money for her whims ( you know, counts or countesses have a lot of extra expensive habits… ) Herr Zoret strongly disapproves of the relationship.

So, there is not a subtle or hidden homosexual meaning in "Vingarne" "only" a troubled relationship seen from different perspectives, an interesting though conventional story of greed, friendship, and manipulation. Unfortunately, the film fails due to overacted, stilted performances that become a festival of histrionics making the film seem even older than it is. The actors keep getting in the way of the impeccable art direction and sets.

"Vingarne" included originally a now lost framing device that showed Herr Mauritz Stiller creating this film. The film reconstruction that this Herr Graf watched includes stills and intertitles of the missing footage; a shame because that lost footage seems for this German count more interesting than the main body of the film. The creating of the film is done in a "dramatized" way, especially when Herr Stiller and his crew are involved. This film within a film is a clever idea and a good example of Herr Stiller's inventiveness in searching for original narratives for his films and it redeems "Vingarne" to some extent in spite of its flaws.

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must take wing for tonight's soirée.

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/

Famous and well off artist and sculptor Claude Zoret adopts model and talented artist Eugene Mikael as his son. (The homosexual connection in the novel seems to be ignored in this filming). However, Mikael becomes interested in Princess Lucia de Zamikow and they live a dissipated life at Zoret's expense, much to Zoret's displeasure.

The main interest to me were the costumes and sets.

The 50 minute print is a restoration, substituting titles and stills for the missing scenes.

Also filmed by Carl Theodor Dreyer as Mikaël (1924).