There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Kurosawa was a great admirer of Russian literature and The Lower Depths is another attempt to adapt a Russian literary classic to the big screen after his previous effort, Dostoevsky's The Idiot was butchered by the studio. Like Maxim Gorky's original play, The Lower Depths is an atmospheric examination of the lives of a group of slum dwellers, which this adaptation places in Shogunate-era Edo.The limited setting (we never leave the slum) and the lack of cinematic flourishes creates a somber mood that wonderfully hangs over the film like a fog. In many ways, The Lower Depths feels more like a filmed play rather than a traditional movie. The sets of the dingy slum are perfect, feeling decrepit enough without being exaggerated. The limited camera movement helps give the audience a sort of 'fly on the wall' perspective while keeping them from feeling too detached through Kurosawa's masterful use of editing and a few strategically placed camera movements and close-ups.Unfortunately, the plot can't quite live up to the wonderful setting. The main plot, concerning thief Sutekichi (played by the great Toshiro Mifune) and his relationship with the landlady Osugi (Isuzu Yamada, who had starred opposite Mifune earlier that year in Throne of Blood) feels a bit melodramatic for my tastes; particularly when it's revealed that Sutekichi is falling in love with Osugi's younger and more pleasant sister, Okayo (the prolific Kyoko Kagawa). While these elements are present in the original source material, Kurosawa seems torn between focusing on the love triangle or making the the film a full-on ensemble picture. As such, he focuses less on the love triangle than other adaptations, such as Jean Renoir's 1936 film. This works out to the detriment of the a main plot as it is quickly overshadowed by the various subplots which are more interesting and nuanced. Mifune also feels a bit miscast here and I feel someone like Masayuki Mori would have been a better fit for the role. Mifune is a great actor but his range was never the greatest and Sutekichi is more thoughtful and introspective than the kind of role he was typically cast in.The supporting cast is excellent however. As mentioned previously, it's much more entertaining to watch this collection of misfits than to worry about whatever the A-team is up to. Eijiro Tono as the tinker and Kamatari Fujiwara as the drunken actor are particularly good but they all moments where they shine. The various subplots involving this group are all interesting and engaging, with the only real weakness being that the narrative forces them to step out of the spotlight for the main plot every once in a while.Overall, The Lower Depths is an interesting experiment from Kurosawa with some excellent acting and a wonderful sense of atmosphere but I can't really place it among his best works due to its narrative flaws.

THE LOWER DEPTHS is yet another of Kurosawa's insightful explorations of The Human Condition- in this case, the day-to-day struggle against Abject Poverty. "A thief is a poor man's best friend," one of the Denizens of The Depths points out; an unfortunate Truth, as the lack of Money often leaves the Poor with few real options. I see it on a daily basis in the neighborhood where I live. Kurosawa is one of the few Truly GREAT directors to tackle such stories. (I've always thought of DODESKADEN ("CLICKETY-CLACK") as yet another of Kurosawa's more insightful Dramas, one that dealt with- among other things- Mental Retardation. I could go on, but you get my gist.) THE LOWER DEPTHS manages to capture the Utter Boredom and lack of Purpose that motivates many poor people; it is to be applauded.

Watching this during the aftermath of the 2011 japan earthquake actually boosted my love and appreciation of the purpose and the way this film is made. The central point of this film is about poverty and how people, who ended up living in the slums due to predicaments or misfortunes from various pastimes, resume their daily lives.It is synonymous to the real-life strong-willed Japanese who at the same time rebounded back quickly, and with dignity, from such a tragedy. The film appeared boring at first, but that is the intention. (Boring) Comedy was the main focus in the film most of the time, especially memorable moments like the old wanderer's unbiased comments, a few quirky characters and somewhat unconventional tunes hummed by some of the poor 'residents' which sounded so much like modern rap music -- the later parts of the film gradually dwell more towards the emotional side when viewers will understand that these people, jobless, not given any sort of purpose in life and thus were forced to live such a mundane lifestyle, need to commit to such silly/nonsensical acts and maintain an 'impoverished, simple mindset' in order to keep themselves sane and alive without thinking too much of the sad reality that engulfed them.Few hours ago (I wrote this review much earlier), I was significantly touched by the way the Japanese disaster victims, who in the same way, led on their normal routines as if nothing has ever happened; or for those direct victims who were being treated in hospitals or already lost many things precious to mother nature (and the nuclear crisis), they did not utter a single word about the tragedy but instead tried to care for others in the same boat. There were no clear dominant presence by the main leads as everyone commanded the same amount of attention, as if everyone were just supporting casts -- after all this film is about the whole 'slum' community. All aspects of impoverishment were well touched; how every single character ended up there and the subsequent effects that caused some to succumb as fallen victims of the system, or to walk away when prudence conquers everything else. The final song and the sarcastic ending was truly a perfect and memorable one that summarizes the whole theme in the best way possible.

The Criterion Collection offers two different film versions of "The Lower Depths": one made in 1936 by Jean Renoir and another one made in 1957 by Kurosawa. The two directors never worked together on either film. In fact, they only met once in their lives, many years later. Both films are based on Russian writer Maxim Gorky's 1902 play, which describes life in a miserable slum where most characters have lost all sense of hope. Renoir deals with this serious subject matter in a much more humorous and amusing way than Kurosawa, whose film is slower, decidedly somber and a lot more difficult to digest. While Renoir's work takes the viewer in and out of the slums, Kurosawa doesn't allow one to see beyond the wretchedness of the underworld. Both films are great, but it was probably Kurosawa's which left a more durable and deeper impression on me.