The Lower Depths

An elderly man wearing pilgrim robes arrives at the run-down Edo tenement and quickly assumes the role of a mediator among the tenants. He positions himself as a grandfatherly figure who calms disputes and guides the desperate residents. His calm presence hints at a shadowed past that makes others wary or curious.

Sutekichi, a thief and self-appointed tenement leader, begins an affair with Osugi, the landlady. His attention also shifts toward Okayo, Osugi's sweet-tempered sister, creating tension and jealousy among the tenants. The air of danger surrounding him deepens as his past remains clouded.

Osugi engineers a plan for Sutekichi to murder her husband so she can hand him over to the authorities. Sutekichi sees through the ploy and refuses to take part. When the husband discovers the affair, a fight erupts and Kahei intervenes, saving Sutekichi from immediate exposure.

Okayo slowly begins to see the good in Sutekichi and warms to his attentions, despite warnings from her sister. This budding romance complicates the fragile social order of the tenement. The tension between affection and danger compounds the residents' loyalties.

Rokubei and Osugi beat Okayo, pushing her toward danger. The tenants rush in to save her, breaking into Rokubei and Osugi's residence. The incident exposes volatile power dynamics within the building and tests the tenants' solidarity.

In the ensuing chaos, Sutekichi becomes enraged and accidentally kills Rokubei. Osugi immediately uses the event to cast him as the killer and to justify handing him over to the authorities. Okayo feels manipulated and realizes she was used to provide a pretext for murder.

Okayo now believes she has been used as a tool in the killing and chooses to distance herself from Sutekichi. Her trust in him has shattered and she refuses to continue their relationship. The rift deepens the central crisis of the tenement.

Kahei's potential testimony could clear Sutekichi, but he flees to avoid having to testify. His flight fuels suspicion that he knows more than he admits and adds to the aura of mystery surrounding his past. The absence of his testimony heightens Sutekichi's precarious position.

Following the chaotic events, Sutekichi and Osugi are arrested, ending the central narrative arc with an uncertain future. The tenement writhed under the weight of police intervention and looming consequences. The surviving tenants stay behind to reflect on the turmoil they endured.

Among the residents, a nihilistic gambler rejects the pilgrim's hopeful entreaties to reform. His cynical worldview contrasts with Kahei's optimism and underscores the harsh reality facing the tenement's inhabitants. The subplot adds dark humor and a counterpoint to the main drama.

An aging actor who has lost his ability to memorize lines lingers in the tenement, providing a quiet counterpoint to the main plot. His fading career mirrors the tenants' precarious lives and invites quiet sympathy. The subplot offers moments of reflective melancholy.

A craftsman who seems indifferent to his ailing wife gradually becomes a broken man when she dies. His personal tragedy contrasts with the more dramatic events in the building and reveals the tenderness beneath his stoic exterior. The scene adds bittersweet humanity to the ensemble.

A destitute man claims descent from a samurai family, a boast that others swiftly debunk. The moment satirizes social pretensions and the harsh realities of poverty. It provides comic relief and a critique of identity under strain.

A group of partying drunks revels in misfortune, turning the worst moments into a darkly comic spectacle. Their antics highlight the resilience and absurdity of life in the tenement. The scene adds levity amid tragedy.