Set in post Second World War Tokyo, this crime investigation masterpiece in the genre of Film-noir, carries the ubiquitous stamp of Kurosawa’s genius. It is the story of two cops who are on the hunt for a criminal on the loose; The Stray Dog. The film starts with one of the cops Murakami losing his Colt service revolver in a crowded local. He reports the theft to the Police H.Q and given the task of finding it. The trail leads to a notorious, stolen arms dealer Honda. The revolver has been leased to a rabid criminal in exchange for his ration card. Murakami is conscientious and weighed down by guilt as his stolen revolver is now the weapon in the hands of a dangerous criminal who robs a bank and also murders a housewife for money. He is tense and anxious, behaving like a tightly wound spring. The displacement of the weapon and serviceability of the same raises serious moral questions. Murakami wants to nab the criminal quickly before further damage can be done. He is supported by an elder cop Sato-san who is more measured and logical in his approach. The search or the hunt keeps going as the stray dog remains elusive, although he leaves a trail at every stage. The tension builds up to a crescendo and Sato-san spots the guy in a Tokyo hotel.
As he tries unsuccessfully to pass on the information to Murakami who is at another place, the Stray- dog gets an alert and uses one of the remaining bullets on Sato-san. The scene in which Sato-san tries to contact Murakami, his voice unregistered by a callous receiver at the other end, marred by rain and thunder and a classical music piece playing in the background from the hotel foyer, sums up the antagonism of the rival forces: the Police who are desperate to corner the murderer, and the stray-dog who is riding his luck of the criminal. In the end Murakami gets a piece of information from one of the girls about a meeting somewhere and goes after his man. In a bloody, dog fight where Murakami is shot at with his own revolver, he pins down the criminal and locks him.
The movie has a remarkable aura of gloom and darkness. Heat is a constant theme in the movie. Murakami in his tireless search for the lost weapon seems like a lone knight at odds. The entire world around him has a particular cycle that is rhythmic and changing. He is the novice cop who cannot relax and outthink the stray- dog. It is Sato-san who outwits the criminal with his outlook and instinct. In post war Tokyo Murakami unlike the stray-dog has chosen the path of order and justice. The bonding between the two cops as Murakami wails madly beseeching Sato-san not to die is moving.
Murakami receives his first citation as Sato-san, recovering in his hospital bed tells him you can never forget your first case. After the darkness of the investigation, the grit and the grime, Murakami is wiser. Like all unforgettable films, The Stray-dog more than being a detective film captures the essence of post war Tokyo in a cauldron of conflicting moods and interests.