A poignant adaptation of Maxim Gorky's play studies a group of destitute people sharing a hovel. Kurosawa creates a brilliant spectrum of characters who differ from one another in degrees of hope, resignation, and compassion: the landlady in love with a thief, the thief spurned by the landlady's sister, the gambler, the prostitute, and many others, Through their interactions, Kurosawa explores illusion and delusion, delighting in each person's ability to create an image of himself that doesn't match reality.

Japanese collection. Based on the play by Maxim Gorky. Originally released as a motion picture in 1957.