Kurosawa series: Stray Dog (1949)

Belcourt is showcasing a Kurosawa series, including 14 of his very best, throughout the month of August. I have not seen most (i.e. 13 🤪) of them. It feels like film-ic destiny that I get to experience them for the first time on the big screen. In 4K! (well, most of them).

If you plan to watch more than 5 movies, I would recommend buying a 5-ticket pass ($45, $35 for Belcourt members) or a full series pass (14 total tickets for $98, $70 for Belcourt members). $7 for a Kurosawa flick on the big screen (most of which are 4k restorations!) - that's the best movie deal of the year! (and no, I do not work for the Belcourt Theatre) If you buy a pass, please keep in mind that you still need to reserve tickets for your showtime. Let me know if you have any questions.

Dir. Akira Kurosawa | Japan (in Japanese with English subtitles) | 1949 | 123 min. | NR | New 4K DCP Restoration

A bad day gets worse for young detective Murakami when a pickpocket steals his gun on a hot, crowded bus. Desperate to right the wrong, he goes undercover, scavenging Tokyo’s sweltering streets for the stray dog whose desperation has led him to a life of crime. With each step, cop and criminal’s lives become more intertwined and the investigation becomes an examination of Murakami’s own dark side. Starring Toshiro Mifune as the rookie cop, and Takashi Shimura as the seasoned detective who keeps him on the right side of the law, STRAY DOG goes beyond a crime thriller, probing the squalid world of postwar Japan and the nature of the criminal mind.

The screening will be introduced by Yoshikuni Igarashi, professor of history specializing in Japanese cultural studies at Vanderbilt University.

If folks are up for it, we can chat about the movie afterwards over a bite nearby.
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Purchase your tickets at Belcourt or online for the showtime below, and see you there!
Saturday, August 9, 2025, 1:00 PM

Buy your tickets here