Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai is a 1999 gun-wielding action film starring Forest Whitaker as the phantom-like Ghost Dog, a Mafia hit man who follows the Hagakure - the ancient code of the Samurai.
Living alone in New York City, with only his carrier pigeons for company, Ghost Dog lives a simple, cut-off life in a shack on the roof of an abandoned building. He studies the Japanese warrior text the Hagakure and practices the ancient disciplines contained within. Ghost Dog is a modern master of samurai and an assassin,... who has pledged his loyalty to Italian mobster Louie, who saved his life eight years previous.
Louie belongs to a gangster family run by Ray Vargo, who operates out of a Chinese restaurant. Ghost Dog is caught up with the mafia due to his association with Louie and is given a mission to kill Frank, a man who's in a relationship with the boss' stunning daughter Louise. However, after executing his mission with his usual flair, he realises that Louise has witnessed the killing. Furious to learn of his daughters' presence at the hit, Vargo decides he wants Ghost Dog dead in the name of honour, but has he underestimated the killer?
Both his master and himself are in danger, so Ghost Dog prepares to go to war with the Vargo family, however, before he takes action he must consider his strategy in accordance with Hagakure. But will it possible to stay true to his code?
In the samurai tradition, Ghost Dog has pledged his loyalty to one master, Louie (John Tormey), a small-time mobster who saved Ghost Dog's life many years ago. [show more]
Ghost Dog is a hypnotic, eccentric and reflective film that is wonderfully typical of the intensely independent Jim Jarmusch.
Rather than being an archetypal action movie, Ghost Dog is more character-driven and revels in the quieter showdowns. It is edgy, unconventional and innovatively combines old-world samurai traditions and gangster lifestyles steeped in honour. It's possibly one of the most original movies ever made, but it's not for everyone.
Its structure, multi-level meanings and bizarre nature may be more pleasing to a cult-film enthusiast rather than a general movie-goer. The film has a superb sense of humour and glides through a myriad of different themes including loyalty, honour, friendship, race, literature and even, bizarrely, hip-hop.
Ghost Dog is brimming with surprising characters and great performances, notably by Forest Whitaker who plays a calm and lonely assassin who wanders effortlessly from harmony to composed ferociousness. His only friend is a Haitian ice-cream seller who does not speak the same language as him. Ghost Dog is completely detached from reality and uses the code of the Samurai as a guide for his life. He does contract killings for a gang of Italian gangsters, but one day a hit goes wrong and Ghost Dog finds himself as the target.
Verdict
Ghost Dog is beautifully written, stylish and meticulously structured film, with an inspiring topsy-turvy design. It's insightful storyline and warm wit is a tribute to the traditional values of friendship, honour and loyalty, however, be warned, its bizarre approach isn't for everyone!
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Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play Ghost Dog lives in a shack on the roof of a disused building He lives his life according to the Hagakure The Way Of The Samurai He is employed by a small-time gangster family and when they betray him he sets out for revenge Age Rating 15
Killer-for-hire Ghost Dog (Forest Whitaker) lives his life by the ancient Samurai code Hagakure. When his sometime employer Louie (John Tormey) hires him to assassinate gangster Handsome Frank - at the behest of Mafia don Ray Vargo (Henry Silva) - Ghost Dog carries out the job. However, when Vargo discovers that there was a witness to the killing, he orders the reluctant Louie to have Ghost Dog taken out. After Vargo's men ransack his home and slaughter his beloved pigeons, Ghost Dog vows to revenge himself on the crime bosses in true Samurai fashion.
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