Review of The Lost Weekend (1945) by Alex S — 09 Aug 2010

Fact: The alcohol industry offered a few million when this was made to buy the negative and destroy it, ensuring no one would ever see the weekend encompassing a raging alcoholicâ??s descent into Hell (where â??Hellâ?? is actually New York and its local establishments, and there are probably some who would argue that is a fairly accurate name to give).

Fact Number Two: Consequently, studio execs called for a token ending bestowing resolution and hope, effectively sticking out like it was part of another movie and got mixed up on the cutting room floor.

Fact Number Three: Wilder and star Milland capture the notion of addiction in such a horrifying way that not even the ludicrously cheesy mouse vs. bat moment detracts from the horrors made possible by any form of dependency.

A writing hopeful spends a weekend alone questing to fulfill his alcoholic desires by any means necessary, which include stealing from his brother, begging, a second round of stealing, a frenzied journey to a row of closed pawn shops with his typewriter to sell off and a few other stark instances that are legitimately heartbreaking.

There really isnâ??t too much to say about this one as it offers a lot to take in and ponder long after the final image has passed. Hmm... Jane Wyman continues to be good, so there's that. Certainly if youâ??ve been through the addiction cycle, this is going to be a tough slog.

And if youâ??ve ever had a hangover before, this will ring pretty true at times (though not once do we stop and dwell on homemade cures, so donâ??t expect to see Milland shove his head into a freezer while wrapping his feet in aluminum foil, or something equally â??guaranteed to workâ??).

And if you ever wanted to see â??desperationâ?? captured on film, itâ??s difficult to think of anything before or since that could top this.