It was 1944 when Billy Wilder picked up Charles Jackson’s novel, The Lost Weekend. That same year had just seen him join the Hollywood A-list with his 7 Oscar nominated Double Indemnity, albeit without a win. One year later his reputation would be even further enhanced with his movie adaptation of The Lost Weekend, that would go on to win 4 Oscars including Best Director, Best Movie and Best Screenplay.

The Lost Weekend tells the tale of a middle-aged alcoholic named Don Birnam. He’s a writer that never realized his full potential due in large part to his uncontrollable drinking. On the verge of a rehabilitatory country retreat with his supportive brother, Don instead manages to escape for what turns out to be a five day bender. It’s a weekend that will see him sink to several lows including begging for alcohol, pawning his prize possessions, lying, stealing and eventually institutionalization.  At the same time Don has a girlfriend who just can’t seem to give up on him, despite a life of continual disappointment.

At the time of the movie’s release, this was something of a difficult subject. Alcoholism was an issue that had never seriously been tackled in the movie industry. Rumor is that the liquor industry offered Paramount $5 million not to release the picture. It also met with resistance from the temperance movement who feared that the movie might promote drinking. Prohibition had ended little over a decade earlier and knowledge was scarce on the subject as Alcoholics Anonymous too was in its infancy. As a result the movie initially only received limited release, but was greatly received and instantly released to a wider audience.

The Lost Weekend is a brilliant picture. Armed with an excellent novel as its foundation, Wilder and fellow screenwriter Charles Brackett transformed it into a harrowing and realistically shocking tale. The script avoids all exaggerations, clichés and stereotypes about alcoholics and as a result perfectly captures the hidden and the exposed life of the character. It’s so realistic that it could easily fit into the 40 or so true stories in the book of Alcoholics Anonymous. 

The storyline is further enhanced by Wilder’s ability as a director. Visually the movie is noir-ish. Birnam becomes a character who’s as trapped in his disease as someone harboring the darkest of secrets. Wilder communicates this so effectively that anyone who’s suffered a hangover or two can empathize with Birnam’s suffering. There can hardly be a greater scene in movie history than the sick Birnam walking the streets of New York, the camera focused on his perspiring face, riddled with sickness, desperate for a drink. It’s a dizzying and effective scene.

One interesting aspect of the direction is the innovative musical score. This was one of the first movies to feature the theremin, an electronic musical instrument. The theremin produces an eerie sound that was later to be used in sci-fi movies. In The Lost Weekend it was used to create the harrowing and haunting feeling of alcoholism.

Of course none of this could work without the performance of Ray Milland as Don Birnam. He delivers the character to perfection and won an Oscar for his efforts. He’s excellent in every aspect; the preoccupation, the deceit, the grandeur and the inevitable suffering that follows. Milland is the epitome of the alcoholic mind and behavior. In fact the cast is great all around. Jane Wyman and Phillip Terry play Brinam’s girlfriend and brother respectively. They epitomize the lives of al-anon’s and the suffering they too must endure. Howard Da Silva is great as Don’s bartender, never certain whether the best thing to do would be to throw him out or pour him another drink.

The Lost Weekend is a flawless movie. In addition to its 4 Oscars it was also well decorated at The Golden Globes and Cannes Film Festival. In fact it’s one of only two pictures to have won the Academy Award for Best Movie and the Palme D’Or (the other was Marty for you trivia buffs). The subject of alcoholism has since been addressed several times in the movies, but The Lost Weekend is probably still among the most relevant and revealing. If you’re looking for a case study into alcoholism or just want to see a classic example of movie making, I highly recommend The Lost Weekend.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older