Wings captures the unusual predicament of Nadezhda, a heroic Russian WWII veteran, as she as lives with the unforeseen struggles of civilian life. As a headmistress/disciplinarian in a vocational school, she is mocked by the students for being cold and stern. As Nadezhda’s heroic past goes completely ignored by the youngsters (not that she is an incredibly proud or remotely boastful person), she grows more and more disheartened and fatigued. Shepitko consistently makes reference to an ideological gap in Nadezhda’s generation vs. the generation her own daughter and her students are a part of. The younger generation troubles Nadezhda with their lack of work ethic and moral character. Her daughter’s desire to be married so young is also troubling to Nadezhda, who knows that with the protection of a husband she will never become a strong independent person as Nadezhda has.
At times it seems that Nadezhda is uncomfortable in her own skin, she is awkward and shy in social situations, especially those with other women. Nadezhda is a character who defies gender roles, and in many ways functions as a “genderless” character in an incredibly gendered world. In regards to cinematography, Nadezhda’s innermost feelings are conveyed through her environment. The best example is a scene where she is meeting her daughter’s fiancé for the first time and, in this very claustrophobic party scene, the camera gets tight on Nadezhda to show her complete discomfort with her surroundings. On the other hand, outdoor scenes (always with the sky as focal point) give way to a less inhibited side of her personality while simultaneously causing her to feel painfully nostalgic. Nadezhda’s domain is the sky, a place not governed by order, a place where time does not matter, a place where she feels strangely at home.
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