enochsneed Review of Days of Wine and Roses

Days of Wine and Roses (1962)

A nightmare view of the dangers of alcohol

[10/10 · 14 June 2005]

This is a shocking film. From the moment we see Joe Clay in a crowded bar telling the barman to "Hit me again" and whispering "Magic time!" before taking a drink, we realise that out of all the people in that room he is the man with a problem. Sadly, as in all these cases Joe is the last person to see that he needs help. Doubly sadly he takes someone else with him. Marrying a bright, non-drinking Kirsten, Joe introduces her to the pleasures of social drinking. Reluctant at first, after her first few Brandy Alexanders have made her giggly, Kirsten admits that having a drink "made me feel good". Unhappily their drinking doesn't stop there. Frustrated at work Joe feels the only way he can relax is to have "a coupla blasts" in the evening. Then he is frustrated because his wife is "stone cold sober". Wanting to demonstrate her love for Joe, Kirsten joins him in nightly sessions which find her drinking more and regularly getting drunk. As Kirsten develops a liking for liquor, bottles go missing from the drinks cupboard… When Joe is demoted and sent out of town Kirsten finds the best way to ease her loneliness is to drink it away. Drunk in the daytime she sets fire to their apartment and almost kills herself and her young child. Joe is fired and the next few years are a series of short-lived jobs and increasing addiction to drink. It certainly seems to be usual for Kirsten to be fairly drunk by the time Joe comes home. At last Joe has his "moment of clarity" and tries to dry out. The attempt fails when he and Kirsten fall off the wagon and start getting very drunk again. Their only hope is to join Alcoholics Anonymous. Joe can see this, but now it is Kirsten who refuses to believe she has a problem. Ultimately Joe has to make the nightmare decision to reject his wife who is now unable to face life without being drunk. Watching this shattering film is like being trapped in a nightmare where something horrible is happening and yet you cannot look away. A sense of doom hangs over this tragic couple who are unaware of the fate they are walking into. Thankfully the performances and direction are more than capable of delivering on the promise of this uncompromising story.