Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai

Jim Jarmusch, France/Germany/USA/Japan, 1999, 116 minutes

Cult indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch’s 1999 Golden Palm nominated feature is the offbeat tale of... Holy Crap! I’ve already written this in the Straight Story review! Uh, moving swiftly on, Ghost Dog (played by Forest Whitaker) is a hired killer who practices his art and, in essence, lives his life in accordance with the Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai (from which quotes are taken to make inter-scene cuts). Living a more or less solitary existence, his only companions are his pigeons, his only friends, a child with an odd taste in literature, and a French-speaking ice-cream vendor (with whom many mutually incomprehensible conversations are held); Ghost Dog’s seemingly serene existence runs into difficulty when he is witnessed in the act of killing a target by the daughter of the local mafia boss. Soon the assassin himself is under threat, in a situation further made complex due to the fact that the mafia boss is none other than Ghost Dog’s former master who saved his life many years ago, thus leaving the now marked man in his debt.

This somewhat convoluted tale is stylishly rendered by Jarmusch, with a, uh, hip hip-hop soundtrack provided by RZA, and a notable cameo appearance for Gary Farmer, who reprises his role as Nobody from the director’s earlier existential western Dead Man. Those fearing a pretentious mish-mash of styles are fretting over precious little, as the deep meditative atmosphere is lightened through some inspired comedy, mainly achieved via the quirky characterisation of the mafiosos. Whitaker’s calm, competent presence provides an emotional centre for the piece, and helps ensure that matters are not swamped in sentimentalism. What we are left with is another starkly individualistic piece from the respected auteur, an ice cool blend of part comic part philosophical dialogue, impressive visuals, and accomplished performances from the cast.

Review by Ben 'Cheap Hack' Williamson
Written for EUFS Programme Spring 2004