Donzoko (1957)

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1. 

   epicureanlotus

   If Kurosawa's The Lower Depths feels more like a play, that's because it is, having been adapted from the 1902 work of the same name by Russian socialist writer Maxim Gorky. The entire film takes place in a single location (a dirty room in an overcrowded Edo-era tenement, or just outside it), unfolding over the course of four different significant days, and featuring a cast of diversely downtrodden characters who are all struggling to survive and find meaning at the lowest depths of society.
   
   There is the nihilistic gambler, who finds meaning in earthly hedonism. There is the existentialist tinker, who distracts himself from meaning with constant work. There is the alcoholic actor, who clings to the promise of meaning in an imaginary future. There is the landlady and her sister, who likewise search for meaning in the possibility of escape. And then there is the greedy landlord, who only values money and material possessions. The ex-samurai and the prostitute, who value the way they are seen by others (and accordingly lie and embellish their histories and pull one another down). There's the Buddhist pilgrim with a suspicious past, who seems to value only the afterlife and helping others prepare for it (but conveniently disappears when it's time to save his own neck). And of course there's Mifune Toshirō's hot-tempered thief, who comes to believe that the meaning of life lies not in getting rich but in pursuing the passions of romance and love. All in all, the film feels less concerned with plot than with the interaction and conflict between these philosophies, as the characters attempt to come to terms with the harshness of their lives but more often just end up bonding over a shared impulse to indulge in the opiates of fantasy and booze.
   
   Ultimately, The Lower Depths is one of Kurosawa's slowest and most challenging films, but it's also one of his most rewarding. The acting is brilliant, the script tightly-wrought, the direction and camerawork subtle yet powerful. There is so much to think about and unpack, and there's often just as much to learn from what the characters don't say or half-say than what they actually intended to say aloud. There is a richness of depth to this film, and along with Rashomon and Ikiru I believe it's one of Kurosawa's works that most demand repeated viewings.
   
   Unfortunately, The Lower Depths received very mixed reviews upon its initial release. Critics found it pessimistic and ethically ambiguous, while audiences who were expecting another Seven Samurai or Throne of Blood were disappointed by its slow pace and sombre mood. In the years following the American occupation of Japan, stories about such hopeless lower-class characters were rare, and other depressing films like the work of Mizoguchi Kenji were more popular overseas than in the domestic Japanese market. However, in recent years acclaim for the film has been growing, and in 2009 the esteemed magazine Kinema Junpo voted it the #36 best Japanese film of all time. In my opinion, The Lower Depths deserves to be spoken of with the same adulation as Kurosawa's other undisputed masterpieces, and it very much deserves your patience and reflection. 1 year 6 months ago
2. 

   tommy_leazaq

   Very underrated film. 9 years 3 months ago
3. 

   BaalMan

   https://archive.org/details/TheLowerDepths 5 years 7 months ago

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