The Lost Weekend

After watching the previous years feel good best picture winner Going My Way 1945's The Lost Weekend is a complete 180. Instead of being feel good it's a depressing story about an alcoholic. Basically the Lost Weekend is about an alcoholic who despite the best efforts of his brother and his girlfriend manages to steal some money and go on an alcoholic binge(its amazing how drunk $10 could get you in the 40's). We get to see his slow descent into despair and desperation. It just starts with one drink, then he is having a good time spouting some drunk philosophy. Talking about how he met his girlfriend and his aspirations to become a famous writer. Then with each drink he moves closer to desperation. He finally ends up in a hospital full of drunks where he begins to hallucinate and slowly goes mad.

This is a great movie. In my opinion one of the most underrated movies to win best picture. It's one you never hear about but has such an emotional impact. What I like about the movie is it gets right into it. There is hardly any back story, just starts with him hiding a bottle of liqueur from his brother then moves from there. Each minute going further down the abyss. The two things I didn't like about the movie was the end and the music. I thought the end could have been a little darker. Not as feel good. And the music just didn't fit the mood of the movie. The score sounded like something out of a 50's sci-fi movie not a serious dark movie. But overall it was a great movie.

Billy Wilder who wrote and directed the movie is one of the most nominated directors and screenwriters. He has a total of 8 directing nominations with 2 wins and 12 screenwriting nominations with three wins. What is amazing about Billy Wilder is the scope of his movies. You have dark movies like this one then you have flat out comedies like Some Like it Hot(AFI ranked it #1 funniest movie of all time) and film noir movies like Sunset Boulevard. Almost everything the guy did turned out great. Only two of his movies won best picture(The Apartment in 1960 is the other one) but most are considered classics.

Other Oscar Facts
The Bells of St. Marys a sequel to the previous years winner Going My Way became the first sequel to be nominated for Best Picture and Bing Crosby became the first Actor to be nominated twice for playing the same character in different films.
Joan Crawford won her only Oscar for Mildred Pierce. Accepting it at her home because she was too "sick" to attend the ceremonies.
Set a precedent for socially-responsible movies to win best picture in the late 40's