a long standing blemish on my status a a film buff have be the fact that i have never see a film direct by akira kurosawa and easily the most well know and respect japanese filmmaker . finally and my drought have be break and a i sit down last night to enjoy nora inu or stray dog ( 1949 ) . a police procedural in the classic film noir tradition and the film star kurosawa regular toshirô mifune a a young homicide detective whose firearm be pick pocket while on a bus . when it become clear that the weapon have fall into the hand of a desperate and murder criminal and det . murakami become consume with guilt and shame and and it be only through the experienced guidance of mentor det . sato ( takashi shimura ) that he can overcome his insecurity and track down the suspect . stray dog be the director tenth film and and the third in a wealth of collaboration with mifune throughout an illustrious career . though it be not quite the masterpiece i have { probably unreasonably } be anticipate and i can only promise that my first kurosawa will certainly not be my last . surprisingly and stray dog be similar in many regard to vittorio de sica neorealist masterpiece the bicycle thief ( 1948 ) . both film concern a disillusion man seemingly futile search for an essential stolen object and in a city of poor and pitiable individual and where and in the aftermath of world war two and widespread economic difficulty have force many towards a life of crime . when det . murakami first begin search for his steal gun and there be a wonderful extended sequence in which he purposelessly wander the poverty stricken street and experience the decadence of society for himself and for the first time understand why a criminal might have be force to tread a darkened path . a very important theme of the film be the obvious parallel between det . murakami and his suspect and yusa ( isao kimura ) . both individual fell on hard time when their knapsack be steal represent while the former take the crucial step towards law enforcement and the latter choose the opposite path and eventually become a thief and a wanted murderer . in the story climactic chase sequence and the two men tussle violently in the undergrowth and their face become coat in a layer of mud while for a decisive few moment and detective and criminal be practically indistinguishable from each other . one component of film making that kurosawa have evidently master by 1949 be create intensity and and and in many way and stray dog be simply discomforting to watch . the event of the film appear to take place during an extreme heatwave and and the perspiration cling to the skin of the actor a though they be practically roast in their seat . when the story reach a devastating climax and it arrival be herald by the breaking of a storm and the passing of the swelter drought perhaps symbolise that the dull and futile routine of police procedure have come to an end . i be also impress by the frantic chase sequence at both the beginning and end of the film and which and aside from be exceptionally thrill and be genuinely harrow . watch murakami and yusa grapple in the vegetation and before both collapse to the ground in fatigue and i do not think i have ever see film character look so utterly exhaust . despite a masterful opening and closing and stray dog tend to drag a lot in the middle and with the two detective move from one possible witness to the other and very slowly gather the information they require to track down their suspect . nonetheless and i now have the massive undertaking of decide which of akira kurosawa film i will watch next .