The Lower Depths
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71% Critic Match

The Lower Depths

7.1 / 10 1957 2h 5mNR Japanese
Drama

Storyline

Residents of a rundown boardinghouse in 19th-century Japan, including a mysterious old man and an aging actor, get drawn into a love triangle that turns violent. When amoral thief Sutekichi breaks off his affair with landlady Osugi to romance her younger sister, Okayo, Osugi extracts her revenge by revealing her infidelity to her jealous husband.

Cast & Crew

Toshirō Mifune

Toshirō Mifune

Sutekichi the Thief

Lead
Isuzu Yamada

Isuzu Yamada

Osugi the Landlady

Kyōko Kagawa

Kyōko Kagawa

Okayo, Osugi's Sister

Ganjirō Nakamura II

Ganjirō Nakamura II

Rokubei, Osugi's Husband

Minoru Chiaki

Minoru Chiaki

Former Samurai

Kamatari Fujiwara

Kamatari Fujiwara

The Actor

Akemi Negishi

Akemi Negishi

Osen the Prostitute

Nijiko Kiyokawa

Nijiko Kiyokawa

Otaki the Candy-Seller

What People Are Saying

4.0
A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Akira Kurosawa's vision lands with breathtaking precision.
Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
4.0
Every frame feels alive. The Lower Depths is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker