The Lower Depths (1957)

Synopsis: Based on the play by Maxim Gorky, Akira Kurosawa's film is a faithful adaptation, taking liberties only with the change in character names and setting (from imperial Russia to Edo-period Japan).... Based on the play by Maxim Gorky, Akira Kurosawa's film is a faithful adaptation, taking liberties only with the change in character names and setting (from imperial Russia to Edo-period Japan). This surprisingly comical tale focuses on the daily tribulations of a group of lower-class people living in a small tenement. Osugi (Isuzu Yamada), the landlady, bickers with Okayo (Kyôko Kagawa), her sister, over the man they both want--Sutekichi (Toshirô Mifune), the thief. Other characters in the close confines include a priest (Bokuzen Hidari), an ex-samurai (Minoru Chiaki), an actor (Kamatari Fujiwara), and a gambler (Koji Mitsui). By setting the film in one room and a small adjoining courtyard, Kurosawa emphasizes both its claustrophobic premise and theatrical origins. Featuring an excellent ensemble cast, Kurosawa's tragicomic film is especially notable for Mifune's remarkable performance as the edgy yet sensitive Sutekichi. [More]

Starring: Toshirô Mifune, Kyôko Kagawa, Isuzu Yamada, Ganjiro Nakamura

Starring: Toshirô Mifune, Kyôko Kagawa, Isuzu Yamada, Ganjiro Nakamura

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Story: Maxim Gorky

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