Film Discussion: Stray Dog

Much of Akira Kurosawa’s Stray Dog could be more easily understood if the viewer has in the back of their mind the after effects of the atomic bomb on the Japanese citizens. With this in mind, this writer found himself clued into the possibilities of what Kurosawa was trying to say in his message. Just to name one instance, it was very intriguing that the train sounds in the movie sounded very much like the stray rabid dog from the very beginning image. There is also one instance when the sound of a baby crying sounds almost animal like. Whether this was intentional or not, it still adds to the film.

Throughout the film, characters experience a horrible heat wave. The viewer really can feel their pain as they go about their daily lives. Yet again, this writer felt that Kurosawa was trying to give his viewers a chance to really understand a deeper meaning of the film’s structure. It is almost as if this heat was symbolic for the troubling times the Japanese people were going through. However, what this writer found interesting about this is the fact Sato’s children seemed at peace and did not seem affected by it. In fact in relation to this, another instance that stood out was the slow paced sequence in which Detective Murakami, whose gun was stolen (lost), mopes around town, unsure of what to do. The stolen gun represented the displacement among the Japanese people after the atomic bomb devastated their lives. There is a reference made to Yusa, who stole Murakami’s gun, as the stray dog, but it was deeply felt that it was Murakami who in fact was seen as the stray dog. Who is a detective without a gun? Who is a Marine without their rifle? The viewer understands that a gun or rifle for that matter is considered to be family to these types of people, without it, they are nothing.

The film’s climatic ending is a direct correlation with the heat wave metaphor. This of all things mentioned above, is the one thing that made the film an enjoyable experience. There is a moment between the two main detectives on a bridge. Murakami says to Sato, “I have a terrible feeling something will happen”. If the viewer were paying close attention, they would have heard sounds of thunder roar in the distance and spot the darkening clouds; a storm is coming and fast.

The storm has arrived and it has come at a crucial part in the film’s structure. Yusa has shot Sato and left him for dead, then the downpour hits. This symbolized a bolt of tension being released from the characters and quite possibly the viewers themselves. Tension is released as the characters experience the downpour. However, this tension release comes only when Murakami has caught up with Yusa. During their scuffle, Kurosawa chose what felt like child like music. To bring the attention back to the Japanese children mentioned earlier; it was noticed when Yusa was defeated, a group of children emerged in the background. Life is back to normal so to speak. This could explain Yusa’s child-like behavior and his mental breakdown. The children represent the innocence of their society.

The very final scene sums up the experience this writer had while watching the film. Detective Sato explains to Detective Murakami “There will always be another Yusa”, meaning there will always be troubling times in which heroes need to stand up and show their fellow citizens not to be afraid of the troubling times that face them. So in a sense, Yusa is to be representative of the displacement between not only Murakami, but the Japanese society as well.