Nora inu (1949)

Director:

Akira Kurosawa

Writers:

Ryûzô Kikushima (writer)
Akira Kurosawa (writer)

Release Date:

31 August 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

Plot:

During a sweltering summer, a rookie homicide detective tries to track down his stolen Colt pistol.

Plot Keywords:

Bus | Police | Dress | Negative Atmosphere | Police Surveillance

Awards:

4 wins

Cast

Toshirô Mifune	...	Det. Murakami
Takashi Shimura	...	Det. Sato
Keiko Awaji	...	Harumi Namaki, showgirl
Eiko Miyoshi	...	Harumi's mother
Noriko Sengoku	...	Girl
Noriko Honma	...	Wooden Tub Shop woman (as Fumiko Honma)
Reikichi Kawamura
Eijirô Tôno
Yasushi Nagata		(as Kiyoshi Nagata)
Katsuhei Matsumoto
Isao Kimura	...	Yusa
Minoru Chiaki	...	Girlie Show director
Teruko Kishi
Ichirô Sugai	...	Yayoi Hotel owner
Gen Shimizu	...	Police Inspector Nakajima

Also Known As:

Stray Dog (USA)

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-12 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Japan

Company:

Film Art Association

Trivia:

During the opening credits, there is footage of a panting dog. However, when American censors saw the footage, they assumed that the dog had been harmed. This run-in with American censors caused Kurosawa to remark that this was the only time he wished Japan had not lost WWII.

Quotes:

Det. Sato: A stray dog becomes a mad dog.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Sun taam (2007)

Soundtrack:

Sonatine in C Major, Op.20-1

Brilliant early noir from Kurosawa. To be recommended.

Captivating American-esque noir, one of Kurosawa's first great films. What seems like a weak premise for a thriller at the start actually ends up providing a great central situation for this movie which drives it forward much better than, say, Donzoko. Music, also is great.

Toshiro Mifune, looking young and handsome, is quite marvellous as the central character, a detective whose gun is stolen on a bus. What starts out as a detective nervous about finding his gun and fixing a silly mistake, develops into a frantic and desparate man who feels somehow responsible for whatever crimes are committed with his gun. The suspense and detective-story plot are well developed in Stray Dog, but what really makes the story captivating is the revelation of the central character's feeling of guilt throughout, and his learning about crime, criminals, and that what is important is to make good come of your mistakes.