Tools of Characterization

Characterization in The Lost Weekend

Actions

In The Lost Weekend, the disparity between characters' actions and words speaks volumes.

Though he talks a big game about getting sober, Don will do anything to get a quick fix. There's the time he steals the cleaning lady's paycheck. There's the time he drunkenly sneaks past Helen so she won't know that he's home. There's the time he kisses some random girl so she'll lend him money. No matter the context, Don's actions reveal him to be painfully selfish.

Nat, on the other hand, is a little more complicated. There's frequently a disparity between what Nat says and what he does: several times he warns Don against drinking while pouring him a shot. A little contradictory, isn't it? Regardless, the final action that Nat takes in the film—returning Don's typewriter—reveals that there is indeed a good dude beneath his gruff exterior.

Speech and Dialogue

The Lost Weekend's snappy dialogue isn't just fun to listen to—it's a great way to gain insight into the movie's characters.

We can see this in how Helen's dialogue befits her nearly overbearing optimism. When Don first reveals that he's an alcoholic, for example, she scoffs at his suggestion that she'll leave him, saying instead that she'll "fight and fight and fight." Her dialogue is filled with so much positivity that she might as well write a self-help book.

In contrast, Gloria is defined by her quirky abbreviations. Things aren't ridiculous—they're ridic. You don't mention something—you mench it. This dialogue is most likely meant to mimic 1940's slang, which establishes Gloria as young and naïve in relation to Don. What's more, we see this slang fade away as soon as Don kisses her, which gives us an indication that it's just the affectation of a young girl trying to define herself.

Clothing

Clothes don't make the man…but they might tell you how much he drinks.

For example, Don's clothing is a direct reflection of his emotional status. When we see him at the opera in a flashback, he's wearing a fancy suit and bowler—a reflection of his ability to manage his alcoholism.

As his addiction snowballs, however, we see his wardrobe downgrade noticeably into the decent but scruffy clothes he wears in the film. We even see him run around in a hospital gown and stolen doctor's jacket after escaping the alcoholic ward, which shows you exactly how far he's fallen.

That's a far cry from the strict dress code favored by Don's girlfriend Helen and brother Wick. Both of them look chic at all times—Wick with his well-manicured suit and Helen with her trademark leopard print coat. This establishes immediately that these two have their lives together, which couldn't be more different than our main man Don.