The Lower Depths
The Lower Depths (Russian: На дне, Na dne, literally: 'At the bottom') is perhaps Maxim Gorky's best-known play. It was written during the winter of 1901 and the spring of 1902. Subtitled "Scenes from Russian Life," it depicted a group of members of the Russian underclass in a shelter near the Volga. Produced by the Moscow Arts Theatre on December 18, 1902, Konstantin Stanislavski directed and starred. It became his first major success, and a hallmark of Russian socialist realism.
The characters of The Lower Depths are said to have been inspired by the denizens of the so-called Bugrov Homeless Shelter (Russian: Бугровская ночлежка, Bugrovskaya nochlezhka) in Nizhny Novgorod, which had been built in 1880-83 by the Old Believer grain merchant and philanthropist Nikolai Alexandrovich Bugrov (Russian: Николай Александрович Бугров) (1837—1911) in memory of his father, A.P. Bugrov. When the actors of the Moscow Arts Theatre were preparing the play for its first run in 1902, Maxim Gorky supplied them with photographs of the Nizhny Novgorod underclass taken by the famous local photographer, Maxim Dmitriev (Максим Дмитриев), to help with the realism of the acting and costumes.[1]
When it first appeared, The Lower Depths was criticized for its pessimism and ambiguous ethical message. The presentation of the lower classes was viewed as overly dark and unredemptive, and Gorky was clearly more interested in creating memorable characters than in advancing a formal plot. However, in this respect, the play is generally regarded as a masterwork.
The theme of harsh truth versus the comforting lie pervades the play from start to finish, as most of the characters choose to deceive themselves from the bleak reality of their condition.
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Film versions
- 1936: Jean Renoir (son of the Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir) made a 1936 film of the same name adapting the story to a French setting.
- 1946: Famous Indian Producer & Director, Chetan Anand began his career as a film director with Neecha Nagar (Lowly City), in 1946, which was an adaptation of this short story in Hindi. Neecha Nagar won the Palme d'Or (Best Film Award - then known as the 'Grand Prix'), at the Cannes Film Festival in 1946, becoming the first Indian film to get international recognition [2][3][4].
- 1957: Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, adapted The Lower Depths into a film of the same name starring Toshiro Mifune, in which the characters have been moved to Edo-period Japan. It is often regarded as one of Kurosawa's greatest ensemble films, featuring a large cast of classic Kurosawa actors. The Japanese title of the film is Donzoko.
Pop culture references
The afghan dog in the pound scene of Lady and the Tramp mentions The Lower Depths when giving advice to Lady.
References
- ^ "Преследуемый театром" ("He was chased by the theatre"), by Ольга Наумова (Olga Naumova). Peterburgsky Teatralny Zhurnal, No. 42, November 2005
- ^ Grand Prix du Festival International du Film (1939-54)
- ^ History will never forget Chetan Anand June 13, 2007.
- ^ Maker of innovative, meaningful movies The Hindu, June 15, 2007.
External links
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