The Lower Depths (1936)

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The winner of the Louis Delluc Prize as the most outstanding French photo-play of 1936, as selected by the Young Independent Critics of France (an organization and not a description.) The film treats the imprisoning hold of poverty; the disheartening odds of people rising from such social despair, and the ease in which those in the upper spheres of Society may descend. (imdb)

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Directed By: Jean Renoir

Written By: Jean Renoir, Charles Spaak, Maxim Gorky, Yevgeni Zamyatin

Starring: Jean Gabin, Vladimir Sokoloff, Louis Jouvet, Suzy Prim, Jany Holt, Junie Astor

Genre: Drama

AKAs: Les bas-fonds, Underworld

Country: France

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The Lower Depths belongs to 12 collections

1. Criterion Collection (collaborative: moderated by caffe - 165 stars)

2. Best of criticker: Drama (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 18 stars)

3. Adapted from a play/based on a play (collaborative: moderated by djross - 13 stars)

4. Best by different standards (public: sesito71 - 6 stars)

5. Doubling the Canon (2011 update) (collaborative: moderated by MMAlpha - 1 star)

6. Doubling the Canon (2012 update) (collaborative: moderated by Cinephile - 1 star)

7. Jean Renoir/Jean Gabin collaboration (collaborative: moderated by iconogassed)

8. PeaceAnarchy's film of the year (public: PeaceAnarchy)

9. 3: High Priority (Not in English) (public: KasperL)

10. Cinema all'aperto (public: Rubens)

11. AA - Reserved: Far (public: KasperL)

12. 32 Films that Inspired The French Dispatch (public: TychoCelchuu)

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TCI | Percentile | Date Rated | # Stars (Reviews)

Date	User	Rating
Dec 12, 2021	driscarpin	85 _78th
Bas Fonds estreava há 85 anos na França. Devo confessar que assisti a versão do Kurosawa há muito tempo e não lembro absolutamente nada dela, o que foi uma vantagem ao ver essa aqui sem o peso da comparação entre grandes mestres, mas gostei bastante da do Renoir, gosto da elegância dele frente ao abismo, é como se ele próprio fosse o Barão frente a sujidade da vida, um realista poético. BlurayRip no MakingOff.
Oct 14, 2020	Yiannos	73 _77th
Renoir's characteristic warmth shines through in this strangely uplifting tale of skid row that doesn't romanticise poverty yet avoids being an exercise in pungent 'realism'. His characters have dreams that don't align with reality, but there is promise of better days ahead, and Gabin totally nails his character. The baron character's rise and fall is perhaps depicted too jovially, and he wouldn't be nearly as engrossing if it wasn't for Jouvet's oddly spirited performance. A real surprise.
Oct 07, 2020	Thegoodboy	54 _39th
maybe if they hadn't call me a thief things would've been different
Feb 22, 2019	napolenbrady	89 _69th
89.00
Jan 17, 2019	Icarus	82 _69th
A pretty clear homage to Modern Times, refracted through Gorky's play. Social classes intersect in numerous ways, with Renoir revealing a common humanity, even as the film teeters on despair for the poor who remain trapped in the lower depths.
Oct 22, 2018	EmeraldGuard	40 _10th
Tries to make Christians look bad and criminals look good; but what do you expect from a Marxist like Gorky. Well-photographed, of course, being it's Renoir.
Dec 01, 2015	auhasarderik	8 _79th
It's unlikely that LES BAS FONDS and its characters are as poetic as Renoir writes here, but this is his brand of humanism, and I guess you have to take it. So, this plays a lot like a liberal sensitive poet's idea of life in the slums, but it's too beautiful to deny.
Jun 26, 2015	Tomhet	6 _59th
In some ways a precursor to Down by Law, kinda. I don't know, that point made a lot more sense when I was shitfaced.
Mar 07, 2015	Moribunny	60 _54th
Not as compelling as other Renoir works of that period, but still very nice. The Baron's character breaks a few stereotypes.
Jan 08, 2014	St. Berna	80 _71st
Renoir'nin optimist yorumu -kitabini okumus biri olarak- puanimin 8'e dusmesine yol acti.
Aug 02, 2013	TheDiceman	60 _62nd
Good film, But I recommend the Kurosawa version over this one.
Jun 16, 2013	PUNQ	60 _89th
The movie starts out strong as any Jean Renoir movie with Jean Gabin as the easy going cool thief who befriends a broke Baron (Louis Jouvet) he's robbing. There are some scummy creatures in the poorhouse where he lives and white trash women making life sweet and bitter. So the movie had it's characters down. The mid-part was a massive yawn! The film thankfully picks itself up the last 20 minutes with drama high and low and saves the overall impression which almost got lost in light social talk.
Mar 07, 2013	ratedargh	85 _75th
Simplistic and a bit unbalanced but it tells an emotionally affective story. The prominence of the Baron in the beginning is necessary for the themes related to social class ladder but he disappears for chunks of time and returns from time to time as an ear to Pepel's woes. The flophouse scenes are excellent and while the overall love story seems rushed, it's established early enough that Pepel has grown sick and tired of the thief's racket. Love conquers all...supposedly.
Jan 21, 2011	Bmunise	95 _80th
Probably my favorite thing about Renoir is that there's always SOME shred of optimism. It makes him at worst enjoyable, at best sublime.
Jan 12, 2011	yesistasty	91 _75th
Engrossing dialogue-driven exploration of lower-class life and dreams.
Jul 17, 2010	Valenzetti	82 _63rd
I give extra points to this one for the social and political context of its creation.
Feb 21, 2010	PeaceAnarchy	92 _97th
I'm surprised this isn't more highly regarded amongst Renoir's films. It has all the subversiveness of his earlier films combined with the technical proficiency of his later films, not to mention some great performances. A wonderful tale of love and poverty punctuated with little jabs at social ills, its well paced and mixes drama with light moments very effectively.
Dec 04, 2009	helfen419	87 _82nd
Very well done
Nov 20, 2008	Nathan S	3 _45th
A brisk, lighthearted take on Gorky's play. Renoir's camera just flows like liquid, and Jean Gabin is wonderful as the thief. None of the other characters are fleshed out so well, though. More fleeting than the later Kurosawa version, but still a fun movie.
Apr 01, 2008	torontodog	75 _77th
Lighter and more cinematic than the Kurosawa version.

Average Percentile 67.74% from 188 Ratings