STRAY DOG (1949)
Directed by: Akira Kurosawa.
Produced by: Sojiro Motogi.
Written by: Ryuzo Kikushima & Akira Kurosawa.
Director of Photography: Asakazu Nakai.
Edited by: Toshio Goto & Yoshi Sugihara.
Music by: Fumio Hayasaka.
Released by: Criterion Collection.
Language: Japanese.
Country of Origin: Japan. 122 min. Not Rated.
With: Toshiro Mifune.
DVD Features: Commentary by Stephen Prince, author of The Warrior's Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa. Documentary - Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create. New high-definition digital transfer with restored image & sound. Booklet - an essay by film critic Terrence Rafferty and an excerpt from Kurosawa's Something Like an Autobiography. New & improved English subtitles.

A rookie homicide detective, Murakami (Toshiro Mifune), searches for his gun stolen on a packed bus. In the hot, sizzling days of a Japanese summer, he tracks down, one by one, those who hold clues to his gun's whereabouts. Evidence points to it being used in a robbery and a killing. With persistence and patience, the guilt-ridden greenhorn gradually corners the culprit by teaming up with a veteran cop (Takashi Shimura) who, unlike Murakami, sees the world in black and white.

Stray Dog, considered the first police detective film in Japan, is more than just a mystery. The film's main goal is to follow the thought process of the detectives. With depth and realism, Kurosawa makes his characters rich with personality. The diligent rookie is impulsive and quick to make assumptions, whereas the senior detective chooses his next step by careful observation and constructive thinking.

Filmed on the streets of Occupied Japan, including the area of an actual black market, the documentary-like ambiance brings an understanding of impoverished post-war Japan - where rice rationing cards were a premium - and to the characters’ motivations. The gun thief is portrayed not as strictly as a villain, but as a confused, even betrayed, young veteran of WWII. (Murakami, likewise, had also served in the war and had come back penniless). Even a cynical prostitute has an unexpected moment of hope.

The photography, depicting the excruciatingly steamy, nauseating season of summer, is art in itself, capturing a time contrasting to the clean, high-tech Japan of today. Light is realistically reflected on the glimmering sweat drops on people's faces, which appear beautifully in black and white. And music is cleverly used throughout; the counterpoint music technique is of particular acclaim, as pop music ironically amplifies the tension as the hunter confronts the hunted.

DVD Extras: The 32-minute documentary of Kurosawa's making of Stray Dog, filled with details of what went through his mind when creating the film, is gold to filmmakers. Beginning with Kurosawa's words, "A good film is fun, nothing complicated - interesting and easy to understand," it shows step-by-step, with interviews of the crew, the process of making Stray Dog. Seeing this we find Kurosawa's hidden intentions, trials and tribulations, techniques, original plans and changes. This content is elaborated by the commentary by Stephen Prince. Like reading between the lines of a book, Prince provides analysis and interpretation of each scene, as well as historical background. He also translates in detail the delicate jokes and phrases of that time.

The essay booklet includes the invaluable synopsis of Stray Dog written by Kurosawa himself. He explains the events that surrounded the making of the film, such as his rage against the false accusation from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals that he injected a healthy dog with rabies to get the shot of a fierce-looking, panting dog. With these supplementary guides and stories behind the scenes, one is undoubtedly able to appreciate the classic much more. Hazuki Aikawa, journalist, director of the documentary Yancha
June 24, 2004