Stray Dog

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Synopsis

A masterful mix of film noir and police thriller set on the sweltering mean streets of occupied Tokyo.

When rookie detective Murakami (Toshiro Mifune) has his pistol stolen from his pocket while on a bus, his frantic attempts to track down the thief lead him to an illegal weapons market in the Tokyo underworld. But the gun has already passed from the pickpocket to a young gangster, and Murakami’s gun is identified as the weapon in the shooting of a woman. Murakami, overwhelmed with remorse, turns for help to his older and more experienced senior, Sato (a superb performance by Takashi Shimura). The race is on to find the shooter before he can strike again…

Picture 7/10

Akira Kurosawa’s Stray Dog receives a new Blu-ray edition from BFI, presented on a dual-layer disc in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1. The 1080p/24hz high-definition encode comes from a 4K restoration performed by Toho, sourced from a scan of a 35mm master positive—the original negative, sadly, no longer exists. As a UK release, the disc is locked to region B, so North American viewers will need a region-free player to enjoy it.

Of the recent wave of 4K restorations for Kurosawa’s films (that I’m aware of), this was the one I was most curious about, if only because Stray Dog has always been in rough shape. I wondered just how much magic could be worked on it. While the limitations of the source materials inevitably hold it back, the end result is still impressive—questionable choices notwithstanding.

Compared to Criterion’s 2004 DVD, this high-def presentation is a clear improvement. The image is cleaner, sharper, and sports a more appealing texture. Significant damage—scratches, stains, and other major blemishes—has largely been cleaned up, though finer scratches persist, faintly “raining” through the frame. That said, the restoration’s most puzzling decision (almost certainly made by Toho and not BFI) involves what seems to be light filtering and grain management that I believe was applied not so much to manage the grain as to mask those finer scratches. While the grain hasn’t been erased entirely, it’s noticeably subdued, and the tradeoff is a softer image that smudges some of the finer details.

Thankfully, this isn’t an overzealous application that obliterates all detail, and its application seems to vary scene to scene. There’s also likely an inherent softness baked into the original print materials. Still, the filtering doesn’t do the presentation any favors. On the positive side, the wider grayscale range and improved contrast help bring more depth to shadows and highlights, and the picture is noticeably clearer with fantastic encoding by BFI. While there’s room for improvement, this new restoration is undeniably a significant upgrade over previous releases.

Audio 6/10

The film is accompanied by a lossless 2-channel PCM monaural soundtrack. While the materials do show their age, the audio holds up surprisingly well. There’s some background noise, and dialogue and music occasionally exhibit a bit of edginess, but overall clarity is quite good, with a decent dynamic range. I didn’t notice any severe cracks or pops, and I also didn't detect any heavy filtering.

Extras 8/10

BFI includes a thoughtfully curated selection of supplements that aim to contextualize Stray Dog within Akira Kurosawa’s career and post-war Japan. Leading the pack is a new academic commentary by Kenta McGrath, an insightful deep dive into the film’s production, narrative, and historical backdrop. McGrath skillfully situates Stray Dog within the post-war era of American occupation, highlighting how Kurosawa navigated censorship to depict the societal struggles of the time. He also examines the director’s compositions, framing, and editing—even breaking down the significance of the opening title sequence featuring what appears to be an agitated dog. McGrath’s track is packed with thoughtful observations, including subtle details about the protagonist’s military background that help define his character. It’s a compelling and engaging commentary, easily one of the stronger ones I’ve encountered recently.

Jasper Sharp—who also contributes a commentary for BFI’s edition of High and Low being released the same day—next delivers a concise yet informative 30-minute interview. Sharp explores Stray Dog in the context of Kurosawa’s career at this point in time (late 1940s), leading up to Rashomon’s international success. He delves into the film’s production and expands on the censorship challenges imposed by American forces, complementing McGrath’s observations. It’s a rather solid contribution for this release.

Also included is a 32-minute episode from the Toho Masterworks series, It Is Wonderful to Create (also available on Criterion’s DVD). This feature offers fascinating behind-the-scenes insights, with contributions from Kurosawa, actress Keiko Awaji, and other crew members. Highlights include anecdotes about Ishiro Honda—future director of Godzilla—standing in for Toshiro Mifune during black market scenes due to safety concerns, and Kurosawa’s impromptu decision to shoot a crime scene from a distance, lending it a documentary-like feel. The episode also addresses controversies, such as the baseless accusation that the dog in the opening credits was intentionally infected with rabies. As with other entries in this series, it’s an indispensable resource for fans of the film and the director.

BFI rounds out the package with one of their excellent booklets. This 16-page booklet opens with an essay by Barry Forshaw, structured into sections that examine various aspects of the film—from its pulp story to its lead performances. It also includes an essay by Philip Kemp, originally written for a 2002 Kurosawa DVD box set, and concludes with a reprint of Kurosawa’s own reflections from a 1964 Sight and Sound article, where he discusses his desire for the film to evoke the spirit of Georges Simenon’s writing. Though brief, the booklet is packed with valuable insights that add to the overall experience.

Taken together, the supplemental material does an excellent job of exploring Stray Dog and its significance within Kurosawa’s works. It’s a wonderfully assembled edition, making it essential for fans of the director and the film.

Closing

While the video presentation leaves room for improvement, BFI has still crafted an excellent edition of Stray Dog, offering a comprehensive and insightful package that does justice to Kurosawa’s film.

BUY AT: Amazon.co.uk

 
 
Directed by: Akira Kurosawa
Year: 1949
Time: 122 min.
 
Series: BFI
Licensor: Toho Co.
Release Date: January 27 2025
MSRP: £16.99
 
Blu-ray
1 Disc | BD-50
1.37:1 ratio
Japanese 2.0 PCM Mono
Subtitles: English
Region B
 
 Newly recorded interview with Japanese film expert Jasper Sharp   Newly recorded audio commentary by Kenta McGrath   Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create – Stray Dog (2002, 32 mins)   **FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Illustrated booklet with new writing on the film by Barry Forshaw, archive essay by Philip Kemp and original review