Plot
Action takes place during a heatwave in a bombed-out, post-war Tokyo. Rookie homicide detective Murakami (ToshirÅ Mifune) has his Colt pistol stolen during a trolley ride and gives chase to the pickpocket, but when he fails to capture him he reports back to headquarters filled with guilt and shame. He goes on to prowl the city backstreets undercover, looking for suspects and picking up leads. He eventually picks up the trail of a gun racket. When the stolen gun is used in a crime, Murakami partners up with the veteran detective Sato (Takashi Shimura).
After questioning a suspect, Sato and Murakami end up at a baseball game looking for a gun dealer named Honda. They locate him and he points to Yusa, a disenchanted war veteran who's fallen to crime after the war. They investigate Yusa's sister's house and his sweetheart, showgirl Harumi Namiki, but to no avail.
Murakami's gun is used in another crime, this time as the murder weapon. They question Namiki at her mother's house. The girl is still reticent to talk, so Sato leaves off to investigate Yusa's trail while Murakami remains behind. Sato comes across Yusa's last hideout. He places a call for Murakami, but just as he is about to reveal Yusa's location, the criminal makes a run for it. Sato attempts to give chase, but is shot in the rain and left for dead. A desperate Murakami arrives soon enough to donate blood to his friend at the hospital.
The following morning, Namiki has a change of heart and informs Murakami at the hospital that she had an appointment with Yusa at a train station nearby. Murakami races to the meeting and deduces who Yusa is from his mud spattered clothing. He gives chase into a forest and is wounded in the arm. After a chase, Murakami manages to cuff Yusa, taking him into custody. Back at the hospital, Sato has recovered and congratulates Murakami on his first citation. Murakami reflects on Yusa's plight, reflecting on the parallels between him and the criminal. Sato tells him to forget about Yusa, and get ready for the cases he will have to solve in the future.
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