Ghost Dog - The Way of the Samurai (1999)

Forest Whitaker makes an unlikely modern samurai with his laser-sighted pistols, shabby street clothes, and oddly graceful gait--but then Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is an unusual film. Quirky, contemplative, and at times absurd, it's just the kind offbeat vision we've come to expect from the fiercely independent Jim Jarmusch (Stranger than Paradise, Dead Man). Whitaker is Ghost Dog, a mysterious New York hit man who lives simply on a tenement rooftop and follows a code of behavior outlined in Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai (passages of this book are interspersed throughout the film). When the local mob marks him for death in a complicated code of Mafiosi-style honor, Ghost Dog sends a cryptic message to his foes. "That's poetry. The poetry of war," remarks mobster Henry Silva, with sudden respect upon reading the verse. He could be describing the ethereal beauty of Jarmusch's vision, full of wonderful imagery (a night drive across town seems to float in time) and off-center humor. Though it briefly stalls in a series of assassinations (Jarmusch is no action director), it settles back into character-driven drama in a quietly epic showdown, equal parts samurai adventure, spaghetti western, and existential crime movie. The film is likely too unconventional and offbeat for general audiences, but cult-movie buffs and Jarmusch fans will appreciate his idiosyncratic vision. He finds a strange sense of honor in the clash of Old World traditions, and salutes his heroes with a skewed but sincere respect. --Sean Axmaker Amazon.com

Pathetic garbage

This movie would be laughable if it wasn't so insulting to the audience's intelligence. It was obviously written and directed by a couple of ghetto trash mediocrities. The use of both the term "samurai" and the extensive quotes is a pathetic, transparent, contemptible trick to make the film appear respectable (or have some worth) in what is otherwise cinematographic toilet paper. July 13, 2008

Wanted to Like It......

Is this a great movie?.... No. Is this a horrible movie?.... No, but close. I really wanted to like this movie going in, but it didn't deliver for me. I was expecting a fairly offbeat cult movie similar to Dead Man with J. Depp or Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East and something where I could watch it over and over and pick up something new. I couldn't bare to watch this movie more than once. I did like the music in Ghost Dog but am hard pressed to find any scene in the movie that I really liked. If it wasn't for Whittaker this movie would never get off the ground. Of course your mileage may vary since a majority of reviewers did like it... Go figure! June 30, 2008

Ghost Dog

Peace to the Gods and Earths and/or any divine beings who has knowledge of self. This movie is right and exact filled with gems and jewels of a highly intelligent nature. Whether you want discipline and principle or have it and are seeking an understand through the Samurai sciences. This movie is for the third eye of the godly type. So the 85% need not apply because this movie is not for the deaf, dumb, and blind.

Infinite Self Allah (Isa) May 4, 2008

The Modern Day Samurai

"Ghost Dog" is a fascinating film. Rarely do I use this word to describe a person or a book, let alone a non-documentary film. But here I must, simply because of what Jarmusch has crafted here a contemporary samurai film which mirrors oh so perfectly the lives of samurai of ancient Japan given the context of the year 1999, in a seemingly decrepit city, in the USA.

Forrest Whitaker is an exceptional actor and here he does not disappoint. He IS a samurai, walking each step with compassion, yet keeping to his duty with calculated grace.

For the independent-minded, taking this entire film as a whole, RZA's fantastic score, the intriguing, Isaach De Bankolé, the Dutch cinematographer's, Robby Müller's, dizzying yet serene art direction, you simply must see this film. April 11, 2008

A Man Movie

Ghost Dog has it all, and leaves out the unwanted. There is no Ditzy female to contend for the camera with, and plenty of action. The story is based on the writings of the Samurai Code, and implements certain scenes using these edicts. The gangsters are very down to earth, being both flawed and cold hearted. If you love a movie that makes you think, and maybe a need to watch it more than once, this is for you. I have several favorites in this movie, and there is tongue in cheek humor to keep you from taking this too serious. Forrest Whitaker is very underrated in this movie, his character is well played, from the scared youth in the alley, to the defiant man in the final scene. I cannot stress enough how much this movie stirs something inside me, and it is a must have. April 5, 2008

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