Sound design is a pain

Pamela 2022-04-19 09:02:54

It's a good film, only very hard to watch. It's hard to watch not only because the audience would have a difficult time with empathizing any of the characters, but they'd probably also hate the sound design-- the long trivial conversations, with old alcoholics talking non-sense and women screaming. The plot structure is also unconventional. Nobody evolves, which proves to the point that these jobless poor people are living in hell. Even the landlord and the police-like uncle behave vulgarly and disgracefully. They are not any richer than each other. There are diseases, death, greed, gambling, viciousness... The wise old man who embodies Buddism cannot help much.

2020/7/2

View more about The Lower Depths reviews

Extended Reading
  • Dolores 2022-04-21 09:03:29

    It's as ugly as I imagined. Without the scenes of Mifune and Kyoko, it's a torment. I can't tell any of those old men. The low-level howls in the Dolby Cinema were especially sharp and piercing, and the Russian guy and the Emperor Kurosawa were really a nightmare.

  • Russ 2022-02-07 14:46:18

    #Northern Film Festival Rewatch# 01:53, the opening film is based on light ratios to create momentum. At 02:27, the camera jumped back to expand the space. With this shot, Emperor Kurosawa deserved his name. 07:29, it's a good way to step back and divide the space. 01:07:53, wind. The empty mirror starts the narrative and does time continuation. 01:42:24, rain.

The Lower Depths quotes

  • Yoshisaburo the Gambler: [to the actor] Gimme five pennies. If you do, I'll consider your 'naturally gifted actor' a star-billing, tip-top, top-notch, sterling-silver actor.

  • Rokubei, Osugi's Husband: Three mats' worth for bedtime and taking over the common room. I'm raising your rent by ten pennies.

    Tomekichi the Tinker: Why not just strangle me?

    Rokubei, Osugi's Husband: Because I wouldn't get a single penny out of that.

    Tomekichi the Tinker: Wanna fight?

    [Rokubei staggers back, accidentally treading on a reclining Yoshisaburo]

    Yoshisaburo the Gambler: Hey! Ouch!

    Rokubei, Osugi's Husband: [to Yoshisaburo] Don't scare me.