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The Lower Depths

Play trailer Poster for The Lower Depths 1937 1h 32m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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89% Tomatometer 9 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Inhabitants of a flophouse struggle to survive under the harsh treatment imposed by the landlord, Kostyleva (Vladimir Sokoloff). One resident, young thief Wasska Pepel (Jean Gabin), ends his affair with the landlord's wife, Vassilissa (Suzy Prim), and takes up with her sister, Natacha (Junie Astor). Pepel also befriends the baron (Louis Jouvet), a former nobleman fallen on hard times, but Pepel's attempts at happiness are complicated when he's accused of murder by a spiteful Vassilissa.

Critics Reviews

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Time Out 05/09/2007
Gabin and Jouvet are their usual glorious selves, though the tendency towards pessimism makes this one of Renoir's less rewarding films. Go to Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Reader 05/09/2007
It carries some interest in its curious blend of tones and styles -- it oscillates between vaudeville turns and stark tragedy. Go to Full Review Michael Atkinson Village Voice 08/30/2006
Renoir sought out balance and humanistic sympathy, reshaping the narrative so the thief (Jean Gabin) and the Baron (Louis Jouvet) bond over their mutual rebellion against the social system. Go to Full Review Meyer Levin (Patterson Murphy) Esquire Magazine 04/17/2020
...beautifully acted by all, and very well directed by Jean Renoir. Just misses permanency. Go to Full Review Donald J. Levit ReelTalk Movie Reviews 03/20/2014
Gabin did not attain the international status of American counterparts or later countryman Belmondo, though his Pepel here is a thing of beauty. Go to Full Review Fernando F. Croce CinePassion 02/14/2010
The text is Gorky's, the names and the whiskers are Russian, yet the world here is wholly French, or, rather, wholly Jean Renoir's Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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06/01/2016 good version of this play turned big screen adaptation. See more 03/27/2016 Renoir's most accessible comedy/drama providing some interesting insights into human behavior and some excellent acting on the part of Jean Gabin and Louis Jouvet. See more 04/21/2015 My experience with Renoir has been a bit hit and miss. Generally, I find I don't connect very well to a certain kind of humanist film-making that's pretty common in France in the 30s and 40s. "The Rules of the Game", for example, leaves me kind of cold and I have never really been able to see what people love about a film like "L'Atalante". I'm pretty convinced this is largely a failing on my part and that I should revisit these films until something clicks. When I do connect with them, however, I connect pretty strongly. I love "Grand Illusion", for example, and I absolutely adored this film. This feels like a classic Hollywood film in the best way possible. If Jean Gabin had been American or British, he would have been a huge star. His interplay with Louis Jouvet in this film reminds me of classic pairings like Bogart with Walter Brennan in "To Have and Have Not". I could watch the two of them banter for hours. See more 12/20/2011 Jean Gabin + Jean Renoir nunca podem ser menos que fantásticos. :-) See more 11/11/2011 I found this early Renoir film much more engaging and rewarding than Kurosawa's rendition. It has some great performances by Gabin, Jouvet, Kostileff, and Vigan. I was immersed in this world that felt authentic while at the same time being light hearted. It's not as much a commentary on poverty as it is about life and the events in our lives that are out of our control. It crafts some lovable characters and engages the audience all the way through. See more 02/09/2011 The French take on the Russians was interesting. I especially liked the ho-yay between Petel and the Baron. Good stuff. See more Read all reviews
The Lower Depths

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Cast & Crew

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Jean Renoir

Director

Jean Gabin

Wasska Pepel

Louis Jouvet

The Baron

Jany Holt

Nastia

Suzy Prim

Vassilissa Kostyleva

Vladimir Sokoloff

Kostylev

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The Lower Depths

The Lower Depths (1937) The Lower Depths (1937) The Lower Depths (1937) The Lower Depths (1937) The Lower Depths (1937) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Inhabitants of a flophouse struggle to survive under the harsh treatment imposed by the landlord, Kostyleva (Vladimir Sokoloff). One resident, young thief Wasska Pepel (Jean Gabin), ends his affair with the landlord's wife, Vassilissa (Suzy Prim), and takes up with her sister, Natacha (Junie Astor). Pepel also befriends the baron (Louis Jouvet), a former nobleman fallen on hard times, but Pepel's attempts at happiness are complicated when he's accused of murder by a spiteful Vassilissa.
Director
Jean Renoir
Producer
Alexandre Kamenka
Screenwriter
Maxim Gorky, Eugène Zamiatine, Jacques Companéez, Jean Renoir, Charles Spaak, Jean Renoir, Charles Spaak
Distributor
Arthur Mayer & Joseph Burstyn Inc., Criterion Collection
Production Co
Films Albatros
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 10, 1937, Wide
Runtime
1h 32m