Classic Crime Showcase: Stray Dog (1949) by Akira Kurosawa

I saw Akira Kurosawa’s Stray Dog over the weekend, and was extremely impressed with it. It’s a film noir, police procedural about a rookie Detective named Murakami, (Toshiro Mifune) whose department-issued Colt pistol is stolen while on an overcrowded bus. The theft leaves him shamefaced, though this embarrassment soon to turns to guilt and horror when the gun is used in a series of crimes that escalate in violence from armed robberies to murder. His relentless search for the Colt, aided by an older, more experienced Detective, becomes the spine of the film and takes you along on a ride through postwar Japan that was a revelation for me.

One thing that was remarkable about Kurosawa’s film was his presentation of real, full-blooded characters that are bereft of the stereotypes of the Japanese usually seen in America. Detective Sato, the precinct cop who becomes Murakami’s mentor is played brilliantly by Takashi Shimura. The easygoing, sly method of interrogation that Sato employs is meant both to teach the young greenhorn Murakami, and demonstrate just how effective a cop Sato is really put the hook in me. It’s a classic film that bears watching again and again. I highly recommend it if you like police procedurals as I do and how easily they can be transplanted from one culture to another. Give it a try if you’ve got the time.

NYPD Special Victims Division (The Real One)

Fascinating article on the NYPD sex crimes unit investigating the case of Dominique Strauss-Khan's alleged sexual assault on a hotel chambermaid. Not surprisingly, things aren't nearly as glamorous in their grimy, low-tech office as Eliot and Liv's on NBC's Law & Order SVU. One thing that is surprising however, is that the detectives are nearly all men. How do these guys question female victims about sexual assault without avoiding some awkward moments is what I'd like to know. One thing I found disturbing however, is when a Detective (a man of course) says that one thing that raises a red flag that a victim's accusations may be not true is if they ask for a female police officer to speak to. It's as if these guys can't empathize, or put themselves in the mind of a frightened, battered woman who may simply not want to be around a male investigator as she's relaying something as traumatic as a sexual assault. Don't quite understand that line of thinking. I don't think Ellie would either. ;)

DSK, the Maid and the High-class Sociopath

Dominique Strauss-Khan’s arrest a fortnight ago in the alleged rape of a Guinean-born maid at the Sofitel Hotel in New York laid bare the true nature of privilege and power as it has existed in both Europe and America for a long time.  The “Great Seducer” as he is known among many in his native France is alleged to have emerged naked in his hotel room when a Guinean-maid arrived to clean his room and sexually assaulted her.  Now I’m not looking to convict the man before he’s had a fair trial, however, his history of assaulting and coercing women does bear closer examination on why we as a society seem to tolerate it so much.

Sure, he’s wealthy, well-educated, has held some of the most powerful and prestigious posts in the world, but should it give him carte blanche to harass women whenever it suits him? His checkered history with women, the assault on the writer Tristane Banon, the coercion of a subordinate into a relationship during his time at the IMF, and his rumored attempts to proposition women on staff at the hotel really call into question his judgment and our willingness as a culture to reward this kind of behavior. Now apparently it has led to this, an outright assault on a struggling hotel maid where his DNA (I read semen) has been found on her uniform.

What is even more disturbing is the idea of how deluded a sixty-two year old, short, not very attractive man must be to think he can solicit and pressure women with impunity and not be seen as utterly pathetic says a lot about how much we appear to worship wealth and power both here and in Europe. What is even more disturbing is the idea that people on his behalf, after being unable to get to her through the justice system have actually been approaching her extended family back in Guinea, trying to buy her silence with promises of a big payout.

It’s obvious right away that this man is a sociopath, unable to empathize with the feelings of women who might regard his attempts to solicit women for sexual favors with anything other than disgust and that he has to be stopped. I’d like to know how his wife can stay with this monster knowing just how lecherous he has been known to behave.

The Abattoir (An Ellie Danson Mystery) Featured on Spalding's Racket

The Abattoir (An Ellie Danson Mystery) has been featured on Nick Spalding's highly-regarded blog Spalding's Racket today. Thanks a lot for the add Nick!

First Review!

The Abattoir (An Ellie Danson Mystery) has received its first review on the Amazon Store, and it's written by no less a figure than best-selling thriller writer Stephen Leather to boot! As you can tell by now, I'm just thrilled. As I've said earlier on my blog, I truly admire Stephen Leather's work, as the basement, along with Nightfall, are too of the best books I've read in a long while, so it's truly an honor and a huge surprise. :)

Criminal Profiling

Ran across a fascinating post by crime writer and criminologist Jennifer Chase today. She writes in detail about what a criminal profile looks like and the impact that it can have on a criminal investigation. She examines a form of criminal profiling called the 'threshold assessment' that weighs the evidence from crime scenes, behavior patterns and victimology to provide a fuller portrait of a serial killer. Be sure to take a peek at her blog, you won't be disappointed.

Thoughts on the Long Island Serial Killer

The profile of the Long Island Serial Killer is far too broad in my opinion. Not sure I agree with it entirely. A male white anywhere from 20s to 40s, with stable employment and who drives a nice car could be anyone and no one. The burlap bags he is alleged to have used is the only thing of interest in my opinion. This could be an indication of his profession, like a landscaper, or roofer like the Rochester serial killer Joel Rifkin is said to believe.

The emotional cruelty that he displays in calling the teen sister of one of the victims and taunting her with details of her life as a sex worker definitely shows someone with little empathy for those around him. It pegs him as a sexual sadist for sure. He could work in coffee distribution, a profession that burlap bags have always played a vital role in.

Imagine, a man trolling the the areas of Gilgo beach, or Jones Beach on Long Island in a van or truck of an established delivery company would not attract that much attention from the authorities. He could pull off to the side of the road in the middle of the night and dump his victims where ever he chose. He could literally hide in plain sight, since he's one of the few people who 'belong' on the road during that time of night. I may be wrong, I'm probably wrong, but it's just possible. Only time will tell.