this early kurosawa effort float stylistically somewhere between the film noir and neo realism and incorporate the best from both world to elaborately craft a landscape ( both physical and social ) of post war japan . it only be 4 year since the dreadful a bombing and the subsequent defeat of japan in ww2 and both the country and the people be deeply scarred . war veteran return home to find a country tear by poverty and a the saying go and desperate condition demand desperate measure . a very young toshiro mifune play the greenhorn detective who have his gun steal and spend the rest of the movie try to track down the culprit . a it turn out the culprit be a war veteran just like mifune character and only where the latter try to do good and find an honest job and the former opt for the easy way out and become a criminal and use the steal gun to rob and kill . this add an additional layer of motivation for detective sato . not only do he have to restore his honour ( ironically symbolise by the lost gun which he try to retrieve ) and but also redeem himself by bring the killer to justice . what make matter bad for him be that every time his steal gun be fire someone die or get injure and which add another burden of guilt on the shoulder of the young detective . the story might appear too moralistic and convenient ( both antagonist and protagonist share a common background and be war veteran and make the distinction of good and bad all too easy ) and but it have to be see in the context of the time . mifune say that there be no bad people and only bad situation . but a his detective collaborator on the case remark ( play by the great takashi shimura and who also star in seven samurai ) he face the same bad situation and make something good out of it . kurosawa here neatly balance the social climate of post war japan and the condition of the time with personal responsibility . story wise it a worthy effort and but like rashomon and it sound a little bit well than it actually be . not that stray dog be a bad movie by any mean and but clock in at 2 hour it start to drag near the middle . there be some nice set piece that showcase kurosawa grow talent ( like the phone scene in the hotel where he use inter cut to great effect ) and the performance be solid all around . there also a silent 10 minute montage of location footage shot in rundown neighborhood a sato search the black market for his gun and which serve a a poignant snapshot of japanese history . kurosawa would go on to achieve international acclaim with his next movie and rashomon and but stray dog already show that he be destine for great thing . compare to later entry in his filmography stray dog appear to be a minor entry and but it still well worth the time to discover .