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The Lower Depths

Play trailer Poster for The Lower Depths Released Sep 10, 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

View All (9) Critics Reviews
Time Out Gabin and Jouvet are their usual glorious selves, though the tendency towards pessimism makes this one of Renoir's less rewarding films. May 9, 2007 Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Reader It carries some interest in its curious blend of tones and styles -- it oscillates between vaudeville turns and stark tragedy. May 9, 2007 Full Review Michael Atkinson Village Voice 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. Aug 30, 2006 Full Review Meyer Levin (Patterson Murphy) Esquire Magazine ...beautifully acted by all, and very well directed by Jean Renoir. Just misses permanency. Apr 17, 2020 Full Review Donald J. Levit ReelTalk Movie Reviews Gabin did not attain the international status of American counterparts or later countryman Belmondo, though his Pepel here is a thing of beauty. Mar 20, 2014 Full Review Fernando F. Croce CinePassion 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 Feb 14, 2010 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (40) audience reviews
Audience Member good version of this play turned big screen adaptation. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member 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. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member 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. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member Jean Gabin + Jean Renoir nunca podem ser menos que fantásticos. :-) Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member 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. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Audience Member The French take on the Russians was interesting. I especially liked the ho-yay between Petel and the Baron. Good stuff. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Lower Depths

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The Lower Depths

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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