Stray Dog (1949)
[野良犬]
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Awaji
Synopsis:
A rookie homicide detective tracks down his stolen pistol.
Impressions:
This would be a fairly standard police story, but what really makes it stand out is the setting. The heat of the summer and the postwar malaise make for an inhospitable environment. I like the contrast between the inexperienced yet earnest Murakami portrayed by Toshiro Mifune and the laidback veteran Sato played by Takashi Shimura. The bitterness of the underclass is rather stark. I'm used to fairly cordial relations between the citizenry and the police in Japan, but that's not the case here. The reactions range from outright hostility to indifference. Needless to say, it's hard to be a cop in such an environment and it really ups the tension. It's a solid film and definitely worth a watch.
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