“This is not simply an outstanding movie: it is one of the most significant motion pictures ever made.” - Grant Watson, Fiction Machine
Friday, August 8, 8:30 p.m. & Monday, August 25, 8:00 p.m. | Dog days indeed. Akira Kurosawa’s magnificent STRAY DOGS begins with a close up of a panting dog, and the opening line: “It was an unbearably hot day.” In post-World War II Tokyo, in the middle of a heatwave, rookie detective Murakami (Toshirô Mifune) has his pistol stolen on the bus. When it is used in a robbery, he is paired with veteran detective Satō (Takashi Shimura) to track down the thief. Electric fans whir, linen suits are soaked with sweat, and the exhaustion on everyone’s faces is not just from the heat, but from the trauma of war. As he gets ever closer to his gun, Murakami’s guilt over its loss, and his desire to see the good in everyone—even criminals—forces him to decide what kind of detective he really is.
Awards & Nominations
Winner - Best Actor (Takashi Shimura), Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Film Score, Mainichi Film Concours
Scorchers | August 2–31, 2025
Hot enough for you? Welcome to the dog days of summer, when the temperatures reach their peak and it feels like you could fry an egg on the sidewalk. In Scorchers, we explore 10 films where stifling heat has a starring role. In these cinematic sizzlers, characters fan themselves and wipe their brows—and as the degrees rise, so do the stakes. When we’re stripped down, exhausted, and oppressed by an atmosphere warmer than our body temperature, things are bound to explode.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu