The only Billy Wilder movie I can ever think of watching as a kid was Stalog 17, that's it. But now I declare this man as one of my top ten favorite directors of all time. For many reasons is after watching this latest recommendation I'm still not sure whether to laugh or feel disturbed. This month's recommendation I'm referring to is The Lost Weekend, a dark, dark take on alcoholism and granted this was in old movie but this really took me back with some of the disturbed images while watching it. Yet strangely it was kind of funny in the main characters desperate need for booze. Based on the novel by Charles R. Jackson, the film takes a look at one man's binge on booze and realizing how serious it takes you from being good to worse, moreover showing a different side to your personality. When you think of it, almost like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde when you think about it. But will get to that concept later, but let's talk about this film, in order to give more description on what I'm talking about.
Writer Don Birnam (Ray Miland) is planning to take a trip with his brother Wick (Phillip Terry) in order to cure him of his desperate need of alcohol. Unfortunately, Don found some cash Wick's been hiding him, and decides to ditch his brother to buy some booze. Despite his brother giving up and leaving him, Don goes on a roller coaster ride of madness to see how far the bottle goes. The only person that can save Don's life is Helen (Jane Wyman) but can she be able to convince Don that the life of booze is not worth it? Or will Don able to accept the help he needs.
Now granted that this was made in the forties but mother of God this took me back in ways even I couldn't imagine. I mean sure when I use to drink I always drink as a way of getting through the day and that's basically beer, but the character of Don drinks so much hard liquor in this film, and I'm still not sure whether to laugh or be in horror of how far one man can go to get more booze, I guess hard booze can make you do crazy things. Actor Ray Milland deserves every bit of praise for this film I mean this guy goes to great lengths to show the audience how bad and how terrifying alcoholism really is, like if you have a friend or love one who's got a drinking problem just sit him down and let him see how Milland portrays alcoholism and see if that doesn't scare him out of it. When you come to think of it I don't know whether to consider this film to be in the horror genre for its scary portrayal of booze, so I'm just going to consider this great film as modern tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide story. For many reasons why, is because it’s really about how one good person whose trying to stop his shadow side of him but can't stop embracing the shadow side so he continues to gorge himself in the special drink. After watching this film and another film I've seen of his, though I can't say, I now declare him as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, up there with Alfred Hitchcock and John Ford for going to all great lengths to show how dark and how serious alcoholism is as a disease and Wilder does it in the best way possible. Even one of my favorite scenes is when Don is at a hospital for alcoholics and you see people like Don but in the worst condition that Don is, than when he comes back home he starts to see things that are all in his head, I mean if that doesn't take you back than I don't know what does because even I felt shocked and disturbed. So if you’re looking for something different to watch or have someone in your life that is affected by alcoholism, than I would check this movie out like right now. And don't forget to check your own liver.
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