The Lower Depths - Two Films By Akira Kurosawa / Jean Renoir (2-DVD)

This release finds two of world cinema's most influential directors trying their hands at cinematic adaptions of the same Maxim Gorky play, THE LOWER DEPTHS. Akira Kurosawa's 1957 version is set during Japan's burgeoning Edo period and stars Toshiru Mifune and Isuzu Yamada, while Jean Renoir's 1936 version was filmed during Hitler's rise to prominence in Germany and stars Jean Gabin and Louis Jouvet. Although each director took liberties with Gorky's story in order to make it fit into their own distinct vision, they both deliver profound, moving works that reconfirm their status as true masters. See individual titles for more detailed information.