The Lost Weekend

PART 1

The Lost Weekend (1945) was the movie I watched for assignment one, and the genre is a drama. The director of the film was Billy Wilder, and this movie was from the novel by Charles R. Jackson. There are many characters in the movie. These consists of actors and actresses they include Don Birnam (Ray Milland), Don’s girlfriend Helen (Jane Wyman), Don brother Wick (Philip Terry), the bar owner, Nat (Howard Da Silva), Bam Nolan (Frank Faylen), Doris Dowling, Mary Young, Anita Bolster, Lilian Fontaine, Frank Orth, and Lewis L. Russell.

 The Lost Weekend produced by Charles Bracket and the screenplay was Charles Bracket and Billy Wilder.

The music score and sound recording- Miklos Rosa and Stanley Cooley, Joel Moss respectively. Since the movie made a long time ago the pictures were black -and -white color. The camerawork- studio paramount pictures was a great motion picture. The cinematographer or the director of a photograph in the movie was John Francis Seitz his work was good, and the images in the scenes were outstanding because of the way he shot the film.

 Again, the film was edited well, because the scenes were in order. The director Billy Wilder used the rules of continuity editing. “The goal of these rules is to make the actions in the scenes remain clear and offer clues to the audience as to the spatial orientation of the scene” (Retchless, 2006). For example, when Don drank alcohol and became unconscious, he fell and was sent to the hangover plaza for the nurse Bam Nolan to treat him. And one of the scenes Don told the bar owner Nat about how he met his girlfriend Helen, and the time he visited Helen’s family and why he could not reach them. The scenes follow each other which was proper editing techniques used by Billy. 

The sound of the music was clear which helped the audience to watch the movie. The sound was used in most of the scenes in the movie. Stanley Cooley and Joel Moss used Sound in the film to enhance the story. For example, the movie started with a soundtrack which was a great sound which assisted the audience in watching the movie at the beginning. Also, there was a sound when Don found the money that his brother Wick wanted to use to pay his maid which was great.

I like this movie, and I would want to watch it again because of these reasons. Firstly, the movie was an educative drama. Example the movie portrays the consequences of drinking alcoholic beverages since Don was intoxicated he stole money from the lady’s bag and he was caught, he sold his typewriter, and finally, he exchanged his girlfriend Helen coat for a gun to end his life. What a terrible scene at the end he wanted to die because of alcohol, but the girlfriend saved him. Secondly, the movie taught the audience how to show compassion for others. An example in the movie Helen the girlfriend and Don Brother Wick tried to help Don to quit alcohol. Furthermore, the movie was a drama which has music and many funny scenes which can keep the interest of the audience to watch the movie.

I dislike the film because of these reasons: some of the scenes were short, and they do not give detail information about the story. For example, when Don fell from stairs when he was intoxicated, I did not see who took him to the hangover plaza for treatment. Again, the movie scenes mostly happened in Don’s home and the drinking Bar, but the movie does not show where other characters lived.

WE’VE HAD A GOOD SUCCESS RATE ON THIS ASSIGNMENT. PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH PapersSpot AND GET AN AMAZING DISCOUNT

PART 2

My overall impression of the movie is that I enjoyed the film because of the characters Wick and Helen steps they took to help Don to stop drinking alcohol. Again, the way the director and his team used these elements of a film to enrich the story. Include special effects, Lighting, cinematography. “Special effects are divided into two categories: mechanical effects which are produced on set and recorded by the camera; and visual effects, which are either produced in-camera during shooting” (Kuhn, 2012). The use of mechanical effects for example, when it was raining when Helen went to a pawn shop to request for her coat from the owner of the shop.

 In the cinematography, light sources were used to produce bright motion pictures. “Light is the lamps and light sources used for illuminating a film scene. In cinematography, it is assumed that at least two light sources are required.” (Kuhn, 2012).  The work of the director, Billy Wilder, cinematographer John Francis Seitz was excellent. The motion pictures in scenes were brightly colored to show daytime while others were dull colored to indicate night.

PART 3: My Criteria for Quality in Film.

1. Excellent scenes – I am always like a film which has good scenes to educate the audience.

2. Good use of special effects – I like the movie that uses mechanical effects and visual effects to enhance the story.

3. Excellent cinematography– Is great to have a director of a photographer who can make excellent motion pictures.

4. Continuity editing – Having clear actions in the movie will keep the audience interest to watch the movie.

5. Characters – The movie that has characters who are helpful will enhance the audience interest to watch.

References

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.filmsite.org/50sintro.html

Kuhn, A., & Westwell, G. (2012). Cinematography. Retrieved from http://www.oxfordreference.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/view/10.1093/acref/9780199587261.001.0001/acref-9780199587261-e-0124.

Kuhn, A., & Westwell, G. (2012). Lighting. Retrieved from http://www.oxfordreference.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/view/10.1093/acref/9780199587261.001.0001/acref-9780199587261-e-0409.

Kuhn, A., & Westwell, G. (2012). Special effects. Retrieved from http://www.oxfordreference.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/view/10.1093/acref/9780199587261.001.0001/acref-9780199587261-e-0672.

Retchless, B. (2006). Why film editing works. Retrieved from http://www1.icsi.berkeley.edu/~stellayu/artvis/project/filmedit/index.html

The Lost Weekend. 1945. Director: Billy Wilder (Oscar/Golden Globe). Screenwriter: Charles R. Jackson (from the novel by). Charles Brackett (screen play) (Oscar). Starring: Ray Milland (Oscar/Golden Globe). Jane Wyman. Phillip Terry. Awards: 1946 Oscar winner for Best Director, Best Picture and 2 other Oscar with three other Oscar nomination; Golden Globe winner for Best Director, Best Picture and Best Actor. Genre: Drama, Film-Noir. Rating: Not Rated.

Wilder. (1945). The Lost Weekend. Retrieved from https://a