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belief systems reject earthly matters and result in contentment, philosophers sometimes link
Buddhism with nihilism; in Kurosawa’s plot arc, the nihilistic gambler succeeds in outlasting the pilgrim, whose promises are unfulfilled and result in a character’s suicide, which the gambler mocks. This fatalistic tone contrasts with Kurosawa’s more humanistic approach in other films, and is regarded as a reason for the film's mixed response upon its release in Japan. In addition, such overt representation of downtrodden, hopeless characters (albeit from a different era) was rare in early
304:, some of a comic nature, involve the occupants of the tenement: a nihilistic gambler who rejects the pilgrim's hopeful entreaties to the other denizens; an aging actor who has lost his ability to memorize lines; a craftsman who appears indifferent to the impending death of his ailing wife, yet becomes a broken man when she finally dies; a destitute who claims to be descended from a samurai family, only to have this claim refuted; and a group of partying drunks who seem to rejoice in the face of misfortune.
297:
Osugi for her husband's death. Rather than defend himself, the enraged
Sutekichi claims that she had goaded him into doing it. Okayo now believes that they have used her to provide an excuse for the killing. She will now have nothing to do with Sutekichi. Kahei, whose testimony could potentially have cleared him, runs away to avoid having to testify, adding substance to the suspicions that he had something to hide. Sutekichi and Osugi are arrested.
534:
of the other characters. The pilgrim’s grace derives from believing that nothing on Earth matters because rewards are found in the afterlife; the gambler also believes nothing matters, but rather because he rejects religion and morality, seeking pleasure from life rather than purpose. Because both
292:
Sutekichi, thief and self-appointed tenement leader, is having an affair with Osugi the landlady, though he is gradually shifting his attention to her sweet-tempered sister. Okayo thinks little of him, however, which frustrates
Sutekichi and sours his relationship with Osugi. Jealous and vengeful,
288:
In a run-down Edo tenement, an elderly man and his bitter wife rent out rooms and beds to the poor. The tenants are gamblers, prostitutes, petty thieves and drunk layabouts, all struggling to survive. The landlady’s younger sister who helps the landlords with maintenance, brings in an old man and
296:
Slowly, Okayo begins to see the good in
Sutekichi and warms to his advances. Rokubei and Osugi beat Okayo, prompting the tenants to break into their house to save her. Sutekichi is enraged to learn how Okayo was treated and, in the ensuing chaos, accidentally kills Rokubei, and is then blamed by
509:
for 60 days and shooting extended takes with multiple cameras to create a theatrical effect. Although the set was purposefully filthy, Kurosawa walked on it only in his indoor shoes, to the surprise of cast and crew; he explained that dirty though it was, it was still "home" to his characters.
293:
Osugi seeks to persuade
Sutekichi to murder her husband so she can turn him over to the authorities. Sutekichi sees through her plot and refuses to take any part in the murder. The husband discovers the affair, gets into a fight with Sutekichi, and is saved only through Kahei’s intervention.
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rents him a bed. Kahei, who dresses as a
Buddhist pilgrim, quickly assumes the role of a mediator and grandfatherly figure, though there is an air of mystery about him, and some of the tenants suspect his past is not unblemished.
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by presenting two archetypal characters, the pilgrim and the gambler, who share a contentment that contrasts with the self-conscious
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Solovieva, Olga V. (2013). "Kurosawa Akira's The Lower Depths: Beggar cinema at the disjuncture of times".
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Kurosawa assembled his cast from among the top performers in
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276:. The setting was changed for the film from late 19th-century Russia to
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883:"Greatest Japanese films by magazine Kinema Junpo (2009 version)"
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Nietzsche and
Buddhism: A Study in Nihilism and Ironic Affinities
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with
English subtitles in the United States on 9 February 1962.
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171:
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The Toho
Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography
558:. It received general release in Japan on 1 October 1957.
802:, 157, Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co.
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s award for Best Actress of the Year (for this film,
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In 2009 the film was voted at No. 36 on the list of
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838:"Compassion and Meaning: Moving Beyond Nihilism"
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669:'s 1936 French film, also based on the play.
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266:and Akira Kurosawa, based on the 1902 play
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749:"Buy cinema tickets for The Lower Depths"
526:(and religiousness in general) verges on
1527:Films with screenplays by Akira Kurosawa
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865:Journal of Japanese & Korean Cinema
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635:The Greatest Japanese Films of All Time
1532:Films with screenplays by Hideo Oguni
1087:The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail
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258:is a 1957 Japanese film directed by
1507:Films based on works by Maxim Gorky
677:, a 1921 Japanese film directed by
780:. sensesofcinema.com. 4 April 2010
651:, based on six critics' opinions.
25:
974:Akira Kurosawa’s The Lower Depths
1512:Films directed by Akira Kurosawa
440:Kuna (the wrestler's associate)
800:Akira Kurosawa and Modern Japan
1537:Japanese black-and-white films
1:
1542:1950s Japanese-language films
710:Galbraith IV, Stuart (2008).
812:Morrison, Robert G. (1997).
774:"Donzoko (The Lower Depths)"
1522:Films set in the Edo period
1517:Films scored by Masaru Sato
816:. Oxford University Press.
603:Best Actor award (also for
552:roadshow theatrical release
460:Shimazo (the police agent)
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195:17 September 1957
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981:& Thomas Rimer at the
637:by Japanese film magazine
400:Tonosama (the ex-samurai)
370:Yoshisaburo (the gambler)
360:Rokubei (Osugi's husband)
1474:
1026:
798:Conrad, David A. (2022).
561:The film was released by
554:on September 17, 1957 by
480:Otaki (the candy seller)
246:
46:Theatrical release poster
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1103:No Regrets for Our Youth
27:1957 Japanese drama film
1095:Those Who Make Tomorrow
1079:Sanshiro Sugata Part II
943:Japanese Movie Database
681:based on the same play.
490:Tsugaru (the wrestler)
470:Asa (Tomekichi's wife)
450:Unokichi (the cobbler)
410:Tomekichi (the tinker)
350:Okayo (Osugi's sister)
619:Mainichi Film Concours
601:Mainichi Film Concours
518:The film explores the
420:Osen (the prostitute)
330:Sutekichi (the thief)
1552:Films about landlords
844:. Buddhistdoor Global
647:has an 83% rating on
537:post-occupation Japan
340:Osugi (the landlady)
1336:Kurosawa Film Studio
1111:One Wonderful Sunday
1036:Filmmaking technique
983:Criterion Collection
623:The Unbalanced Wheel
390:Kahei (the pilgrim)
380:Danjuro (the actor)
262:, the screenplay by
1207:The Hidden Fortress
430:Tatsu (the cooper)
356:Nakamura Ganjirō II
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1356:Seven Samurai 20XX
1295:Rhapsody in August
1215:The Bad Sleep Well
1071:The Most Beautiful
1018:Films directed by
909:"The Lower Depths"
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615:Blue Ribbon Award
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977:an essay by
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887:the original
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336:Isuzu Yamada
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267:
239:
238:
237:
212:Running time
203: (Japan)
188:Release date
123:Kyōko Kagawa
118:Isuzu Yamada
84:
29:
1418:Maxim Gorky
1263:Dersu Uzala
893:26 December
667:Jean Renoir
611:Kōji Mitsui
550:received a
522:theme that
520:Nietzschean
406:Eijirō Tōno
366:Kōji Mitsui
274:Maxim Gorky
264:Hideo Oguni
216:124 minutes
157:Masaru Sato
98:Produced by
92:Maxim Gorky
69:Hideo Oguni
52:Directed by
1547:Toho films
1497:1957 films
1491:Categories
1377:(daughter)
758:20 January
733:29 October
686:References
497:Production
486:Fujitayama
278:Edo period
199:1957-09-17
164:Production
1456:Night Inn
1321:Criticism
1271:Kagemusha
1247:Red Beard
1159:The Idiot
1135:Stray Dog
629:Reception
446:Yū Fujiki
145:Edited by
1303:Madadayo
1151:Rashomon
968:AllMovie
848:26 April
784:18 March
753:BFI site
655:See also
605:Downtown
599:won the
585:Downtown
528:nihilism
524:Buddhism
505:them on-
302:subplots
232:Japanese
229:Language
153:Music by
106:Starring
81:Based on
1314:Related
1231:Sanjuro
1223:Yojimbo
1143:Scandal
941:at the
543:Release
280:Japan.
253:Donzoko
221:Country
197: (
166:company
18:Donzoko
1426:(1902)
1371:(wife)
1306:(1993)
1298:(1991)
1290:(1990)
1287:Dreams
1282:(1985)
1274:(1980)
1266:(1975)
1258:(1970)
1250:(1965)
1242:(1963)
1234:(1962)
1226:(1961)
1218:(1960)
1210:(1958)
1202:(1957)
1194:(1957)
1186:(1955)
1178:(1954)
1170:(1952)
1162:(1951)
1154:(1950)
1146:(1950)
1138:(1949)
1130:(1949)
1122:(1948)
1114:(1947)
1106:(1946)
1098:(1946)
1090:(1945)
1082:(1945)
1074:(1944)
1066:(1943)
918:3 July
820:
724:
587:, and
569:Awards
514:Themes
317:Actor
300:Other
1432:Films
1167:Ikiru
1055:Films
1031:Works
320:Role
224:Japan
1363:Nioh
1342:A.K.
957:IMDb
920:2019
895:2011
850:2022
818:ISBN
786:2019
760:2023
735:2013
722:ISBN
617:and
576:won
556:Toho
308:Cast
284:Plot
182:Toho
172:Toho
1420:'s
1279:Ran
966:at
955:at
625:).
607:).
593:).
507:set
272:by
247:どん底
90:by
1493::
911:.
867:.
840:.
776:.
751:.
720:.
716:.
694:^
665:,
641:.
250:,
1410:e
1403:t
1396:v
1011:e
1004:t
997:v
922:.
897:.
869:5
852:.
826:.
788:.
762:.
737:.
581:'
256:)
244:(
201:)
20:)
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