This could be Billy Wilder's best picture, while it definitely is Ray Milland's best performance, which earned him a well-deserved Oscar. Miklos Rosza's overwhelming music enhances the drama in its bottomlessly pathetic hopelessness, going constantly from bad to worse with occasional glimpses of some hope on the way which immediately are getting drowned in the bottle. It's a miracle that Jane Wyman at all puts up with such a jerk, most girls would not or would perish in the effort, but here the story succeeds in reaching a conciliatory conclusion after all, so that hope after all conquers reality. There are a number of memorable scenes and supporting characters, like above all Frank Faylen as 'Bim' Nolan at the hospital, a veteran all too experienced, and the landlady Mary Young, but above all Howard de Silva as the bartender, who just can't help it but must assist Raymond on his way down, although he knows all too well how wrong it is, but even he eventually comes at the rescue. The sad thing is, that the writer, Charles R. Jackson, who wrote this novel about himself, utlimately dfid not make it.

As great as Days of Wine and Roses is, to me The Lost Weekend is the more powerful film on the subject of alcohol addiction.What is so striking is how much truth there is in how it deals with a sensitive subject and how ahead of its time it is (at a time where it would be so easy to skim over what is so cruel about alcohol addiction, which The Lost Weekend did not), while also being wholly relevant today at the same time seeing as alcohol addiction is very much a big problem now. It is a simple story told harrowingly (the nightmare sequence is still horrifyingly freaky by today's standards) and incredibly movingly, with nothing incoherent about it, with every aspect of the addiction explored realistically and plausibly (doing a better job than Days of Wine and Roses of showing the desperation and guilt). All in a way that is never sugar-coated or heavy-handed, difficult to do for subjects like alcohol addiction and films with a message.The Lost Weekend is both grittily and sumptuously filmed, with first rate location work, it's a very visually pleasing film while also matching the film's tone perfectly. Billy Wilder's direction is also superb, he is sympathetic rather than patronising but is also uncompromising, it was also surprising that he managed to still bring his characteristic mordant wit to a story so grim, something that almost certainly would have jarred in lesser hands. Miklos Rosza provides one of his most haunting scores, it fits perfectly but is never obvious and repetitive, and the use of the theremin was effectively nightmarish but was equally effective showing the pathos of alcoholism (the main reason apparently for its use.It's very thoughtfully scripted too, making the viewer think long and hard about the subject and motivations from the very first scene, and it also develops the characters compellingly. Nothing is black-and-white or stock, in fact it's straightforward but the characters are the kind that are flawed but with enough room for empathising towards them. The acting is very good. Ray Milland wasn't always the most compelling of leading men at times, however in a piece of casting that was courageous and pretty ingenious he gives a career-best turn, rarely did he show this much range or emotional depth than here. Jane Wyman contrasts beautifully in one of her better and more sympathetic performances, while Phillip Terry brings good realism as the brother. Contrastingly their scenes are more soft-centred, but they do still work.The Lost Weekend's only real pitfall, from personal opinion, was the too pat and too-easily-resolved ending in a film that cried out for the complete opposite considering everything that happened before, it just felt tacked on.Otherwise, The Lost Weekend is a wonderful film that came so close to a masterpiece. Maybe not one of Billy Wilder's best films, but this is only because so many of his films are so outstanding (even his lesser films are worth seeing) which is testament to how great a director Wilder was. 9.5/10 Bethany Cox

Will he quit drinking Even if he convinces so at the end of the movie? Is this considered as a noir film or not? Rather, what is a noir film if this is not. Don Birnam, why is he addicted and does he drink only on weekends or on weekdays (Monday to Friday) too?These were the questions I was left with when I watched this film for the first time two years ago. I found answers and and am convinced after a third time watch.Will he quit drinking Even if he convinces so at the end of the movie? Ans: Does it really matter. Is this considered as a noir film or not? Rather, what is a noir film if this is not. Ans: No this not a noir film Why is he addicted and does he drink only on weekends or on weekdays (Monday to Friday) too? Ans: He surely has an addiction even on week day too. Reasons for addiction does not bother me as they can be any.Don Birnam (Ray Milland) is an addicted alcoholic who thrives on it and strives for it. His every emotion be it his joy when he finds a bottled or his fears, they are shown in extremely novel style in a time as 1945 where still a movie on alcoholism was a taboo and alcohol drinking was still not so much in films. I am sure, this film has stylized drinking in a way too. Made in an post World War 2 time, the film has to be looked at historically coz this has great historical relevance. Sure, this has all the ingredients of a terrific drama and exactly that is what it turns out to be. It is made uncompromisingly and very very compellingly. Till the very end, we cannot figure out where the movie can lead to. This could have gone anywhere in the climax and the climax is a bit hurried coz it hushes things and ends too quickly to my dislike. I wanted to be savored but had to swallow.This has very strong characters (only 4 important though) and yet you easily sustain a 90 minute drama.I really was happy and surprised to have seen this. It's 3/5 for a film that is good in all ways but still does not rise above to be called great.

Possibly the first Hollywood film to treat alcoholism in anything resembling a serious realistic way. The film is almost has a sense of an Orson Welles's an uncompromising look at the devastating effects of alcoholism. Directed by Billy Wilder, and based on Charles R. Jackson's 1944 novel of the same title, 'the Lost Weekend' recounts the weekend life of an alcoholic writer, Don Birnam (Ray Milland) where he went on an extreme alcoholic binge. Ray Milland is just the right actor for the job as he really gives out the character willing to do almost anything for a drink. It was no surprise, that he won Best Actor at the Academy Award in this role, that year. What makes the film so gripping is the way, Billy Wilder shot the film. I love the opening & closing shots of the city. Billy Wilder made great use of John F. Seitz's cinematography camera-work. The scene where Don Birnam is frantic looking a pawn store to sell his typewriter along Third Avenue in New York City on Yom Kippur has this sense of neo-realist morceau d'anthologue to it. You see this copy or reused in other films, where the character walking toward the camera as neon signs pass by camera effect. The drab, gritty black and white cinematography of the expressionistic film emphasized the frightening, twisting, and harrowing power of alcohol. The way, the black and white works on shadows gives it an expressionistic film noir style look. The way, the small bottle appear big in the lamp is a great use of illusion. Some of the booze-soaked scenes were shot through or in the presence of bottles, given a warp illusion of human figures. The way, he shot the staid rings of the shot glasses was great. I love the speech, Birnam gives to the bartender, not to wipe it. The enclosing rings is a symbol of the depth of his drunkenness; little vicious circle. By not wiping it, it will continue to go around and around with no end, no beginning. No end, no beginning. That's how Birnam wants it. While, some people might not his story due to his unlikable; the way, Ray acts makes the film, a little bit more charming, sucking you into the story, more and more. The film's musical score by Miklós Rózsa was among the first to feature the theremin, which was used to create the pathos of alcoholism. It's chilling, and reminds me more a tune to an old school classic horror movie, than anything drama relate at the time. The bat and the mouse scene is a lot scarier than some of these modern day horror movies. That really make the silly notice of pink elephants, scary right there. Wilder was originally drawn to this movie due to his recovering alcoholic screenwriter friend Raymond Chandler who fell off the wagon during the filming of 1944's Double Indemnity. Wilder made the film, in part, to try to help Chandler. The story is well-written with crafty dialogue. I love the whole river Nile speech. I like how Gloria (Doris Downling) cheapens herself by shortening her words with abbreviations. It's a way to say, symbolism how cheap she became as a call girl. I also love how very accurate, the film is to the book. The only different is that novel pointed to a homosexual affair as the root of Birnam's troubles; the film version replaced it with writer's block. I guess, talking about homosexuality was still a little bit more taboo than talking about alcoholism, back then. The pacing is great. Still, I found the Opera flashback to be a bit odd. If Don didn't like the opera, why did he go in the first place? Perhaps the only thing saving Don was girlfriend Helen St. James (Jane Wyman), a selfless and incorruptible woman who tolerates his behavior out of love. Helen still seems to be one-dimension, manic pixie dream girl who hasn't nothing else to do besides help Birnam with his life. Doesn't she has a job as an editorial researcher at Time Magazine or not? Helen does, however, tells him with the words, 'while he trying to stop drinking, she is trying hard not to love him'. One other different from the book is the ending. Although it's somewhat unconvincing, rehabilitative 'happy ending' conclusion. The film did had a more optimistic, upbeat and hopeful than the one in the novel. I thought the film ending was ominous and so true of anyone struggling with addiction in that one never really knows if he has really kick the habit or not. Anybody who knows or is dealing with alcoholism should at least, watch this film. When this movie came out in 1945, the liquor industry tried to sway Paramount from releasing the film, allegedly even going as far to bribe Billy Wilder for the negatives remove it from circulation. On the other hand, the more traditional folks tried to keep it from release for fears it would encourage drinking. The film had enormous impact, especially upon returning combat-fatigued GIs from WW II who were adjusting and struggling with their own difficulties in civilian life and often turning into alcohol dependents. In fact, its success spurred further black and white, post-war dramas dealing with social-problems. While the film hasn't aged well due to the number of scratches and mark abrasion, and some people might not find watching a black and white film, attractive. I have to say, a color film like 2012's Flight couldn't give us the depth, this film does. The film did great a poor DVD transfer and here's hoping they get together to properly restore both the sound and especially the picture quality of this classic film. I felt that this was a great movie with a great script, great acting, great directing and hence overall an excellent work of art with a very good message about life.