Akira Kurosawa’s 1949 thriller stars a 29-year-old Toshiro Mifune as a cop whose gun is stolen by a pickpocket on the train. What ensues is a high-octane chase to recover the pistol and a journey through the underbelly of postwar Tokyo. Kurosawa apes the seedy noirs of Hollywood with the buddy relationship between Mifune’s rookie cop Murakami and Takashi Shimura’s veteran Detective Sato, as Murakami tries to save face by stealing back his weapon in time to prevent its involvement in more violent crimes. Set against a sweltering backdrop of sweaty nightclubs, monsoons, and baseball matches, it’s a perfect midsummer thriller. – Lina Fisher
July 26 & 28
