The Lower Depths (1936, Jean Renoir) (Patreon)

63/100

Second viewing, last seen 2002. Not a coincidence that this film's most memorable scenes have no analogue in Gorky's play (which opens with the Baron already at the flophouse), since they reflect Renoir's recurring theme and even anticipate, in a way, the counterintuitive camaraderie of Grand Illusion. "Why didn't you rob me sooner?" the Baron rhetorically inquires of Pepel, delighted to have met an unexpected soulmate; in this case, the connection is forged between aristocrat and pauper, but it nonetheless feels very much akin to Boëldieu and Von Rauffenstein's class-based relationship that transcends national boundaries. Gabin does his usual thing and hits every mark squarely—the real joy here is Louis Jouvet, whose performance seems to take its cue from Hollywood movies of this era that showcased lovable rich eccentrics. The Baron would be right at home in either version of Holiday, for example. Again, I get the impression that this deviates wildly from the source...which is fine, as the film founders a bit when trying to faithfully reflect Gorky's ensemble portrait of impoverished misery. The alcoholic actor, in particular, gets to be a bit much, with his soliloquies that do in fact seem expressly written to be delivered onstage and were surely more effective there. Loses steam once the Baron joins the others and recedes from the spotlight, but still mostly a pleasure; I've never seen Kurosawa's adaptation (will rectify that fairly soon) and can't imagine that it's not quite tonally distinct from this surprisingly buoyant rendition.