After an unlucky game of poker, Le Baron surprises Pepel in the middle of the burglary of his house. The next day, the bailiffs must seize all of his furniture. Amused by the situation, the two men sympathize and become friends. As Le Baron is ruined, he follows Pepel in a boarding house.

Based on Gorsky’s radical play, which Akira Kurosawa also adapted, The Lower Depths shows Renoir on redemptive mode, as he explores the dreams of life on the margins. This chiaroscuro drama is a testament to the artistry of two heavyweights of French cinema, Renoir and the magnetic actor Jean Gabin.