The Lost Weekend (1945)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Aditya G

  
  Billy Wilder's "The Lost Weekend" could very well serve as a public service film in some support groups akin to Alcoholics Anonymous! I mean rarely have I come across a film that that is solely dedicated to chronicling an alcoholic's drinking binge over a trying… More
  Billy Wilder's "The Lost Weekend" could very well serve as a public service film in some support groups akin to Alcoholics Anonymous! I mean rarely have I come across a film that that is solely dedicated to chronicling an alcoholic's drinking binge over a trying weekend, as he recalls the period of time during which alcohol got the better of him. We are introduced to Don (Ray Milland), a down on his luck writer in New York struggling with his alcoholism. Apparently he is attempting to recover from it and has weaned from the stuff for ten days, which is when he and his brother Wick (Phillip Terry) are planning to take a vacation over the weekend as a further attempt to take Don's mind off alcohol. Don conveniently evades this outing plan by sending his brother with his girl Helen (Jane Wyman) to a concert and agreeing to take the later train. Ensuring that there is no bottle hidden away in one of Don's many "secret places", Wick reluctantly agrees. [img]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ftLJFAqQIJE/ToHvubevoSI/AAAAAAAACBg/bnOQAHIXEC4/vlcsnap-2011-09-27-21h03m26s167.jpg[/img] A penniless Don frantically seeks out alcohol when opportunity knocks in the form of the cleaning lady, who he successfully manages to con out of her wages, all for whiskey! And thus unfolds Don's disturbing story of alcohol addiction, told partly in flashback as he pours his heart out to Nat (Howard Da Silva) of Nat's Bar, Don's favourite hangout and partly in the present as the weekend turns deadlier by the minute as Don's alcohol craving gets desperate... The above summary may seem wafer-thin but you will be surprised at how much material Billy Wilder packs in this 100 mins film that just drifts by...! Ray Milland, in his Oscar winning portrayal of Don, the alcoholic, delivers a scintillating performance. Practically the whole film rides on this masterful performance, for if the performance hadn't been as effective, the film wouldn't be as effective! As Don guzzles down shots of Rye Whiskey, we come to know of his past, his involvement with Helen, his embarrassment at being a writer who isn't able to get a breakthrough and his increasing belief that he is inspired to write only when drunk! [img]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-TMoF_V9qOkk/ToHvuZRt8sI/AAAAAAAACBc/ke-laq6DnpA/vlcsnap-2011-09-27-21h10m59s32.jpg[/img] Wilder paints a very frightening picture of what happens when one clings on to the bottle. I, personally, am a whisky lover too, but I would hate to be in Don's position. For Don, alcohol becomes the one and only solace. It becomes a way of his miserable life! It becomes the sole goal and drinking appears to be the magical cure for everything! Wilder shows it all...the desperation, the depression, the helplessness at not finding a bottle, the penury that drives Don to even try and pawn his livelihood...his typewriter! And then there's the hallucinations! On one hand Wilder shows some superbly surreal scenes depicting Don's thirst for alcohol. Check out that wonderful scene at a stage show, when, while watching a song depicting drinking, Don develops a strong desire to drink and all the performers on stage appear to be a row of raincoats to him, 'cause his raincoat which he has checked in before entering the auditorium, contains a bottle of rye! And then there are the hallucinations which result from alcoholism going overboard...as a character in the film, Bim (Frank Faylen) says "alcoholics usually imagine seeing small animals rather than pink elephants"! [img]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-aqmGJW9om7s/ToHvue8-vkI/AAAAAAAACBY/y5WE8dVqyOo/vlcsnap-2011-09-27-21h07m47s175.jpg[/img] Suffice to say, that as far as the deadliness of alcoholism are concerned, Wilder makes sure he covers all the grim effects it would have on a person. A significant part of the film plays out with perfection. The crisp editing and super smooth narrative of the engaging screenplay are some of the winning aspects of "The Lost Weekend". It is only towards the end that Wilder decides to go "Hollywood" with his ending! Why, a film that builds up to such great promise, has to end with a whimper is beyond me. I mean it could've been the ultimate picture of inevitable doom and destruction suddenly does an about face and closes with a proverbial "where there's a will there's a way" ending full of hope that simply did not fit in the scheme of things in the major portion of "The Lost Weekend". It would still be convincing if there was a gradual buildup to that ending, but so is not the case. There is a sudden reversal from an obvious point of no return, and that becomes one of the major flaws of "The Lost Weekend". One only wishes Wilder had revised the ending. While not a masterpiece like Wilder's "Sunset Blvd" is, "The Lost Weekend" is most definitely worth taking a look at. Score: 8/10.

• William D

  
  Billy Wilder's "The Lost Weekend," which beat "Mildred Pierce" for the Best Picture Oscar of 1945, must have felt like a watershed event for those who saw it back then. This film, with its horrific, realistic depiction of alcoholism, surely helped kick-start… More
  Billy Wilder's "The Lost Weekend," which beat "Mildred Pierce" for the Best Picture Oscar of 1945, must have felt like a watershed event for those who saw it back then. This film, with its horrific, realistic depiction of alcoholism, surely helped kick-start the Alcoholics Anonymous movement that has so transformed America. Is "The Lost Weekend" a great work of socially committed journalism? Yes. Is it worth seeing? Absolutely. Is Ray Milland's performance, which won him the Best Actor Oscar, a tour de force? Yes. But is the film a great work of art? No.

• Chris W

  
  By today's standards, this is pretty tame, a bit naive, and rather melodramatic (as opposed ot regular, serious, dramatic). Back in 1945 though, this was some really heavy, serious stuff. Besides just being a good film anyway, perhaps that's why I like it. It is by Billy… More
  By today's standards, this is pretty tame, a bit naive, and rather melodramatic (as opposed ot regular, serious, dramatic). Back in 1945 though, this was some really heavy, serious stuff. Besides just being a good film anyway, perhaps that's why I like it. It is by Billy Wilder, so that helps, especially since I'm kinda getting into him, especially as of late. This film was a bit more melodramatic and fantastical than I was expecting, but that's probably more because it's definitely a product of it's time. It doesn't have quite the same bite as Leaving Las Vegas, but it is watchable gets its point across. The performances are good. Milland does a great job, especially during the more serious moments of desperation and anxiety. I liked the music, though it was a tad over the top. I think they must have used a theremin, because it had a very eerie quality to it, much like the score from The Day the Earth Stood Still. In many ways, this is a typical 1940s 'message movie', but it is well played, despite its now dated qualities. It's decent, but probably the least of WIlder's films I've seen thus far. You should still give it a watch though, just don't expect it to seem all that fresh or revolutionary.

• Daniel P

  
  Another classic from Billy Wilder, The Lost Weekend truly blew the lid off of alcoholism. I would argue that, despite its Best Picture win, this isn't Wilder's best movie: it sags in the middle, when Don tells his story to Nat in flashbacks, and I found Ray Milland a little… More
  Another classic from Billy Wilder, The Lost Weekend truly blew the lid off of alcoholism. I would argue that, despite its Best Picture win, this isn't Wilder's best movie: it sags in the middle, when Don tells his story to Nat in flashbacks, and I found Ray Milland a little stiff in the lead role. What is clear from this film though is that it's not so far removed from the age of silent films: in a lot of cases, Wilder lets the music do the talking. Flawed, sure, but better than most movies, and one with huge social importance.

• AJ V

  
  I understand that this is supposed to be a serious drama about a man who is an alcoholic, but it was too slow and boring for me to endure.

• jay n

  
  Still sadly topical drama of severe alcoholism with dynamite performance from Milland. Good support by Jane Wyman and a fine cast of familiar supporting players. Not really a film to be enjoyed but to be appreciated.

• Tim S

  
  Really depressing film about a weekend in the life of a drunk. The thing is, I like depressing and felt this was overall a very well acted and well written film. I liked the idea of a writer who never writes anything, but the great thing about Ray Milland's towering performance… More
  Really depressing film about a weekend in the life of a drunk. The thing is, I like depressing and felt this was overall a very well acted and well written film. I liked the idea of a writer who never writes anything, but the great thing about Ray Milland's towering performance (Come here!) is that you actually believe that if this guy actually took the time, sat down, and wrote something, it would probably be pretty good. And this is one of the first films that I have seen in a long time that deals with this struggle very well. I do have to say that the whole bat attacking the rat bit was hard to watch without laughing. Mostly because of how it looked so cheap, but also because I was shit faced.

• Randy T

  
  I'm not sure whether I should cheer or cry. Here we have Ray Milland in a performance for the ages and we don't see anything else like this from him before or since. Was it just a part he could really sink his teeth into or was he not given other chances to carry a… More
  I'm not sure whether I should cheer or cry. Here we have Ray Milland in a performance for the ages and we don't see anything else like this from him before or since. Was it just a part he could really sink his teeth into or was he not given other chances to carry a significant film in a lead role? Yes, I know he appeared in many motion pictures before and after <i>The Lost Weekend</i>, but none of them showcased his talent the way this one did. If he'd had more movies like this one we would all be talking about Ray Milland the way we talk about William Holden or John Garfield. I don't think there is much to argue about when it comes to picking the best performance of Milland's long career - this is it!

• Tim S

  
  The Lost Weekend is an untarnished and unapologetic look at the life of an alcoholic and his struggle with dependency and those around him who care about him. Ray Milland gives an incredible performance as Don Burnham, a writer blocked by his own demons. Jane Wyman gives a… More
  The Lost Weekend is an untarnished and unapologetic look at the life of an alcoholic and his struggle with dependency and those around him who care about him. Ray Milland gives an incredible performance as Don Burnham, a writer blocked by his own demons. Jane Wyman gives a charismatic performance as the woman who loves him and will stand by him always in his hour of need. The story is very much a morality tale that engages the viewer through the eyes of the lead character of Don. Never missing a step, it unfolds effortlessly and gets more interesting as the film goes on. The cinematography is nice and the film really cuts together well. The famous 'drunk's walk' scene as well as the search for the missing bottle of booze are memorable scenes as are several others. The score is wonderfully melancholy and plays well against the binging Mr. Burnham and his trials through alcoholism. If you're looking for an enjoyable and thought-provoking piece from the 40's, this is a good way to go. It will steer you through the haze and come out sober with pleasure. Very much reccomended.

• Jennifer X

  
  Surprisingly gritty for a Hays Code 40s movie, but then again it's Billy Wilder. This is the mother ship of addiction movies and it's inconcievable to be making a two hour movie about one man and his bottle without being hit-over-head about it, but Wilder does it. He does it… More
  Surprisingly gritty for a Hays Code 40s movie, but then again it's Billy Wilder. This is the mother ship of addiction movies and it's inconcievable to be making a two hour movie about one man and his bottle without being hit-over-head about it, but Wilder does it. He does it with fleshed-out characters, hallucinatory dream sequences, a grand old dame, a wonderful bar owner, and a typewriter. I thought the ending was going to be stupid given the necessity of a happy ending but those last words spoken ARE the theme.

• Veronique K

  
  billy wilder adapts a much less moralistic perspective to interpret the tumultous mental odyssey of an achoholic in "the lost weekend" which gains the academy award of best actor for ray milland. the tale whirls around don (milland), a former burgeoning genius writer who… More
  billy wilder adapts a much less moralistic perspective to interpret the tumultous mental odyssey of an achoholic in "the lost weekend" which gains the academy award of best actor for ray milland. the tale whirls around don (milland), a former burgeoning genius writer who cannot shake off his creative block, drowned in the bliss of binge without hopeful redemption despite his patronizing brother and selflessly nuturing girlfriend(wyman) are continuously reaching their aiding hands to him. now don is left alone in the weekend due to his drunken neglectance to partake in trip of rural holidays with his sibling. what would become of him then? in this seemingly tormenting long lost weekend? what differentiates "the lost weekend" is its audacity to reveal the brazen pleasure of being alcoholic, under the analytical description of an eloquently literate protagonist who bares his sins as if they're badges. as he remarks to the bartender, "please let me keep my vicious circle" which means the wet spot of a glass of liquor. this drunk has a deviant sense of humor to exhibit his reveries of booze life, and he even amuses himself with the assumption of publishing a book called "the bottle"...but he's also self-aware enough to perceive the severe guilt inside him, and he rebuffs everyone who shows a concern about him, especially his loving girlfriend, and selects the road of self-caused doom aloofly instead. don is a character who could arouse audience's emphathetic compassion. even as a degenerated drunk, he remains a dignity of his own, such as the scenario that he commit thievery to pay for his booze, he obtains just enough amount from the lady's purse and even replaces the partial lost sum with a carnation, footnoted with his comment "this is a flower for a kind lady"...also this naivety makes him an adorable character worthy of pity. the flick also takes a gloomily shady angle of macabre deliria brought by overdosed alcoholism by baring the merciless side of hospitalizing in the asylum, but don still insists on "no postcard to the family" for the sake of his residued pride. as don is haullucinating over a bat haunting over his apartment when his gf breaks in the door, the discomfiture climaxes to the most unbearable humuliation that leads him to the approach of suicide to terminate his sadly worthless life....so..the ultimate question would be...to be or not to be? the existence of don's patient girlfriend with enormous maternal love (also his fatherly brother) is a sign of alcoholic profile in freud psychology, and another sign is don's apparently pleasant temperant. he combines the traits of infantile fixation over parental depedence and people-pleaser compliance....this is just incidental but wilder's direction makes it more of a repentant freewheeling diaries than a preachy melodrama on alcoholism despite this issue is dated since people nowaday are too hectic on resisting much more violatile substances. there's also something unique about the music score, everytime when the demon of alcoholism possesses don, the background tune goes eerie with a jarring monotonic melody which is very adequately applied. "the lost weekend" is another conquered territory for billy wilder after he makes the legendarily noirish "double indemnity"...this flick is a firmly steady proof of wilder's brillaint versatility.

• Cindy I

  
  An alcoholic's terrifying weekend alone with a bottle. Ray Milland won an Oscar for this and deserved it.

• Lanning :

  
  One's too many, and a hundred's not enough. <p> Very much like <i>The Deer Hunter</i> and <i>Elephant</i>, this is an inordinately difficult movie, for me personally, to watch. I have known, loved, and suffered with so many alcoholics in my… More
  One's too many, and a hundred's not enough. <p> Very much like <i>The Deer Hunter</i> and <i>Elephant</i>, this is an inordinately difficult movie, for me personally, to watch. I have known, loved, and suffered with so many alcoholics in my lifetime. Ray Milland, a grossly underrated talent, is absolutely on top of his game here. This watershed cinematic work follows him moving, from one exquisitely painful scene to the next, like a crescedoing waltz, into oblivion. Although the racial stereotyping is unfortunate, I cannot bring myself to take away stars for that. So unlike, for example, <i>Breakfast at Tiffany's</i><p> There are so many heart-wrenching scenes. The one where Milland is forced to steal the woman's purse in the restaurant is just one of the great ones. <p> Why oh why did Ray Milland feel he had to go to the "B" movie circuit? What a great actor. Another one whom I so very sorely miss.

• Michael G

  
  I liked it but I didn't love it.

• Byron B

  
  These social issue movies from the 40's really impressed me. Maybe it's cause I'm kinda naive and as I watched these award winners in roughly chronological order, it was as if I was viewing it with the eyes of the original 1945 audience. The topic and its portrayal… More
  These social issue movies from the 40's really impressed me. Maybe it's cause I'm kinda naive and as I watched these award winners in roughly chronological order, it was as if I was viewing it with the eyes of the original 1945 audience. The topic and its portrayal was shocking and powerful, whereas by today's standards it would be tame. Someone had to deal with alcoholism back then though so we could get to the point we are today (and deal with today's issues). The filmmakers presented it very well in my opinion.

• Alec B

  
  Its very much a product of its time so its dated, but that partially why I enjoyed it. "The Lost Weekend" gives you a sense of how alcoholism was viewed right around the time it was starting to be recognized as a serious condition and AA was becoming mainstream. As a result,… More
  Its very much a product of its time so its dated, but that partially why I enjoyed it. "The Lost Weekend" gives you a sense of how alcoholism was viewed right around the time it was starting to be recognized as a serious condition and AA was becoming mainstream. As a result, we see a lot people view Ray Milland's character with contempt and disgust rather than a sick man who needs help. I don't think the film sustains itself as a "modern classic" by any means, but until its final moments it remains relatively uncompromising in its view of self destruction.

• Mike T

  
  This movie is in every way a product of its time. It is a 1940s melodrama to the bone, and thus has lost some of its power over time. That's not to say it isn't a good film - there's plenty of effective visual experimentation, and I'm sure the concept would have… More
  This movie is in every way a product of its time. It is a 1940s melodrama to the bone, and thus has lost some of its power over time. That's not to say it isn't a good film - there's plenty of effective visual experimentation, and I'm sure the concept would have been shocking at the time of its release. However, it is a little bit overrated in the sense that it hasn't stood the test of time very well. Still worth a look if you're into classic cinema.

• Lord N

  
  Like Mutiny on the Bounty and Grand Hotel, when I first picked this up I thought it was going to bore me. once again i was 100% WRONG. holy moley this film blew me away. the acting my Ray Milland was absolutely superb and he totally deserved his Best Actor win. It was a disturbing… More
  Like Mutiny on the Bounty and Grand Hotel, when I first picked this up I thought it was going to bore me. once again i was 100% WRONG. holy moley this film blew me away. the acting my Ray Milland was absolutely superb and he totally deserved his Best Actor win. It was a disturbing look at his characters life as a drunk. It was extremely well done too. I particularly liked the part where he is in the alcoholic ward of the hospital and he sees just how far he can sink if he continues to drink. I also liked the visual effects of his hallucination. they did a great job with that. I was surprised at the hallucinations he had: A mouse eats through his wall and a bat comes out of nowhere and bites the mouse's head off. whoa. pretty brutal for 1945. all in all it was a disturbing look into the world of a drunk the movie was much better than I thought it was going to be and I was surprised with how god it was. I really liked it. Final Verdict. Milland's performance combined with the powerful story make this film's Best Picture win 100% correct)

• Eduardo C

  
  Follows the structure of a drug-scare movie of the period but with an A list cast and crew. Great photography and some sharp writing help mask the fact that the film was really not very ambitious at all.

• Anastasia B

  
  It is mentioned, in the short review of "The Lost Weekend" by Robert Horton that Ray Milland's got under the skin of the alcocholic Don Birnham in order to play the leading character. His award winning performance has it's way of getting under yours, too. The… More
  It is mentioned, in the short review of "The Lost Weekend" by Robert Horton that Ray Milland's got under the skin of the alcocholic Don Birnham in order to play the leading character. His award winning performance has it's way of getting under yours, too. The honesty of the script gives the story an immediacy that's startling and it makes the film feel relevant even by today's standards. For a motion picture that won 4 Oscars, it sure carries a lot of baggage; the fact that it still delivers, justifies the weight.

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