Review of The Lost Weekend (1945) by Ryan B — 28 Apr 2008

I can't imagine how ground breaking this movie must have been in 1945. If I had to guess, it probably had just as much if not more impact as "Trainspotting" or "Requiem For a Dream." The scene with the mouse and the bat was particularly powerful.

It reminded me of the scene in "Trainspotting" where Mcgregor's character was in de-tox and the baby was walking on the ceiling. There are many films that focus on on the problems of substance addiction, but "The Lost Weekend" is aimed at addiction and addiction only.

Few films are similar in this respect. It was not a perfect film by any means. The acting overall was flawed often, and it's depiction of alcoholism was a bit over the top at times. However, Billy Wylder and the co-writers had a very specific agenda in mind when they made this movie and they nailed it 100%.

This film is bleak, depressing, and one of the best social problem dramas that I have ever seen.