[.ca] Stray Dog

Amazon.com Essential Video:
A classic crime film steeped in the vivid environs of postwar Tokyo, Stray Dog is arguably Akira Kurosawa's finest film preceding the international success of Rashomon. A classic theme--the identification between criminal and crime fighter--is presented here in one of its earliest incarnations, as a promising young detective (Toshiro Mifune) struggles to retrieve his stolen pistol. The missing gun is used in a robbery and murder, and Mifune's superior (Ikiru's Takashi Shimura) is caught in the case's volatile crossfire. As the detective closes in on his lethal alter ego, his own moral compass spins out of control, into a psychological tempest that inspires Mifune to give one of his best early performances. Using real locations and a sense of sweltering heat rivaled only by Do the Right Thing, Kurosawa (who first wrote this film as an unpublished novel inspired by an actual incident) maintains an atmosphere of lurid urgency perfectly suited to this riveting film noir scenario. --Jeff Shannon

New Criterion Collection DVD to be released in MAY 2004!!:
The Criterion Collection will be releasing this movie for the first time ever on DVD. It will come out in May 2004. The retail price is $39.95 but as with most new Criterion DVDs, Amazon might be selling it for $29.95 soon after it comes out. Features: --New high-definition digital transfer, with restored image and sound. (Note: Non-anamorphic video.) --Audio commentary by Stephen Prince, author of The Warrior?s Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa --Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create, a 32-minute documentary on the making of Stray Dog --A booklet featuring essays by film critics Terrence Rafferty and Chris Fujiwara and an excerpt from Kurosawa's autobiography, Something Like an Autobiography, in which he discusses the production of Stray Dog --New and improved English subtitle translation --Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition This is gonna be hot.

THEMATICALLY MORDANT, TECHNICALLY BRILLIANT:
A young Tokyo cop has his handgun stolen. Driven to obsession he follows the trail of the pickpocket through the choppy underworld of 50s Tokyo in an attempt to regain his "face". This deceptively simple story grows more complex as the man who gains possession of Mifune's handgun begins killing people and the cop starts to blame himself. Amid its intensely graphic buildup of the specious complications of the plot (which is achieved in true Kurosawa form through brilliant blends of images and sounds) the movie manages to couch messages of social and philosophical significance. An incredible atmospheric combination: of neo-noir and a murky mordant comedy. Highly recommended, if you can digest some mildly slow-paced scenes and black and white print.

Stray Dog - Criterion Collection:
Murakami (Toshirô Mifune), a young police officer in 1940s Tokyo, finds that his gun was stolen while he was riding a packed bus. With his position in jeopardy, Murakami, aided by veteran officer Sato (Takashi Shimura), tries to locate his missing weapon. Together, they head to some of the worst parts of the city ... and to the forefront of crime. When Murakami learns that his gun has been used in a murder, his search escalates.

An excellent psychological crime story...:
In the shadow of the American occupation of Japan after World War II during an extremely hot summer afternoon, Murakami (Toshirô Mifune), a young homicide detective, is duped by a pickpocket who steals his issued gun. Detective Murakami notifies his superior about the theft which causes him embarrassment and fear of being fired. The humiliation combined with the fear compels Detective Murakami to keep searching for the thief by going undercover. Murakami probes the scorching Tokyo streets and alleys with meticulously scanning eyes as he comes across a weapons dealer that has clues about the guns whereabouts. These clues help Murakami to continue the investigation as he is assisted by the shrewd Detective Sato (Takashi Shimura) to uncover further clues of the identity of the pickpocket. As clues accumulate Murakami seems to identify himself more and more with the criminal. This begins to wear on Murakami, but the understanding Sato keeps reminding him that he is doing the right thing. Stray Dog is an intense criminal story that examines the psychology of the characters as in compares the similarities between criminals and detectives. These similarities are balanced on a thin line based on choice, which Kurosawa dissects studiously through the camera lens. Kurosawa's investigation of the character's psychology creates a spiraling suspense that is enhanced through subtle surprises and brilliant cinematography. The camera use often displays shots through thin cloths, close ups, and new camera angles, which also makes the film aesthetically appealing. When Kurosawa brings together camera work and cast performance, among other cinematic aspects, he leaves the audience with a brilliantly suspenseful criminal drama, which leaves much room for introspection and retrospection.

4.25 Stars for this Noirish Kurosawa Gem:
If you've only seen Kurosawa's samurai flics, definitely give this a look. The strength of Stray Dog is certainly the imagery: the glimpses of everyday life in the early years of postwar Japan are as priceless as virtually anything from the silent era, and seeing such a young Mifune in his dandyish zoot suite is also worth the price of admission in itself. The rabid dog thru the opening credits frames the film wonderfully and returns to your mind well after you've turned off the TV. And here Kurosawa's greatest weakness (an apparently utter disdain for females) is graciously muted: women are portrayed in mostly unflattering roles but are at least allowed to show some bit of their sensuality (something which is utterly lacking in his later films). The ending is first marvelous then disappointing; the last 120 seconds or so might have better landed on the cutting room floor. The narrative thrill wasn't quite Hitchcock, and the noirish shadows weren't quite to the level of Welles or Wilder. But I am not complaining. While Stray Dog shows some of the undeveloped side of Kurosawa, it also shows traits he would have been better to have kept. All in all Stray Dog was a delight to watch. Regarding the Criterion DVD, the image quality is really no better than a VHS tape. Occasionally scenes are quite dark or the picture is striped with dark lines. The DVD menu page is too dark and it was almost impossible to read the options. As usual, Criterion offers no subtitle options beyond English. And the price is tad lower, if still too high. But at least they have made it available.