The Lower Depths (1957) directed by Akira Kurosawa
Some of my favorite movies are adaptations of plays. Some can be super simple like 12 Angry Men which takes place in one tiny room or can be grand productions like Kurosawa's Throne of Blood. What makes these films great are 1) the excellent stories and 2) the director's vision that bring these stories to life on screen. The Lower Depths struggles in both departments as I didn't feel like the drama was particularly compelling nor did I feel like I was watching a movie per say. It felt like I was watching a play and an uneven and dragging one at that.
But all is not lost as there are some highlights, or perhaps more fitting, lowlights. The story is rather bleak and the film does a good job in capturing this mood. It takes place in a rundown inn where we are introduced to beggars, thieves, drunkards, prostitutes and gamblers. It is an ensemble of outcasts at the bottom of the society. The one person I felt genuinely sorry for was the prostitute who is always picked on and longs for love. An elderly sick woman is afraid of dying and wants to hold on just a little longer despite her extreme pain. All these characters seek escape from their lowly existences but seem to be stuck here forever. There isn't really much room for optimism in this film, it is drab and dreary all the way through. Because of this fact, it's hard to say that it is enjoyable, but conversely it's not really a film where you are deeply moved or learn something. The main problem I suppose is that the film lacks any real sense of cinematic drama. It all feels so flat which is surprising from Kurosawa.
Grade: C
Some of my favorite movies are adaptations of plays. Some can be super simple like 12 Angry Men which takes place in one tiny room or can be grand productions like Kurosawa's Throne of Blood. What makes these films great are 1) the excellent stories and 2) the director's vision that bring these stories to life on screen. The Lower Depths struggles in both departments as I didn't feel like the drama was particularly compelling nor did I feel like I was watching a movie per say. It felt like I was watching a play and an uneven and dragging one at that.
But all is not lost as there are some highlights, or perhaps more fitting, lowlights. The story is rather bleak and the film does a good job in capturing this mood. It takes place in a rundown inn where we are introduced to beggars, thieves, drunkards, prostitutes and gamblers. It is an ensemble of outcasts at the bottom of the society. The one person I felt genuinely sorry for was the prostitute who is always picked on and longs for love. An elderly sick woman is afraid of dying and wants to hold on just a little longer despite her extreme pain. All these characters seek escape from their lowly existences but seem to be stuck here forever. There isn't really much room for optimism in this film, it is drab and dreary all the way through. Because of this fact, it's hard to say that it is enjoyable, but conversely it's not really a film where you are deeply moved or learn something. The main problem I suppose is that the film lacks any real sense of cinematic drama. It all feels so flat which is surprising from Kurosawa.
Grade: C
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