Ghost Dog - The Way of the Samurai

Amazon.com

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

Customer Reviews:

Minimalist Action Film.......2007-08-09

This film is truly unique and worth viewing. It has great character development and possesses a fitting sense of irony. The movie touches on the theme of loyalty more than any other film of recent memory and does so without preaching to the audience. While the film does tend to drag at certain points for the most part it is all part of a philosophical lecture on how society has become more comfortable with the absurd and thoughtless, and does not allow common sense to prevail. Not only a good drama/action film, but a movie that makes you think.

Great acting.......2007-07-24

Eastern and Western cultures and philosophies intersect in this comic drama from acclaimed director Jim Jarmusch. Ghost Dog (Forest Whitaker) is a silent modern-day warrior who lives on a rooftop shack. He spends his days breeding pigeons and playing chess in the park with his best friend, Raymond (Isaach de Bankolé), a French-speaking ice-cream man. At night he goes to work as a hit man, performing his tasks stealthily and invisibly, abiding by the codes established by HAGAKURE: THE BOOK OF THE SAMURAI, an 18th-century text.

One night, while on his latest hit, Ghost Dog encounters a mob boss's beautiful daughter, Louise (Tricia Vessey). Although Ghost Dog leaves her unharmed, her father nonetheless orders Ghost Dog's execution, to the dismay of Louie (John Tormey), his loyal retainer. As the mobsters struggle to locate the mysteriously untraceable Ghost Dog, he must find a way to protect himself while remaining loyal to Louie and the ancient codes that define him as an individual.

Jarmusch successfully tackles a variety of genres with GHOST DOG, including mob movies and spiritual samurai films. Fusing all of this with the RZA's thumping, atmospheric score, GHOST DOG remains another lighthearted, entertaining addition to Jarmusch's impressive filmography

Another fully-formed invetion from the singularly creative mind of Jim Jarmusch.......2007-07-21

"Ghost Dog" is another fully-formed invention from the singularly creative mind of Jim Jarmusch. In the 'making of' featurette, Jarmusch remarks that he envisioned Forest Whitaker as Ghost Dog because Whitaker had the presence, authority and serenity (words to that effect) to pull it off (after all, Jarmusch is asking us to like and pull for a contract killer). That choice seems prescient on Jarmusch's part - seven years after "Ghost Dog," Whitaker's acting skills, wise role-picking and genial personality landed him at the top of the heap with his justly-rewarded portrayal of Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland (Widescreen Edition).

Much of the tone of "Ghost Dog" is set by the score, drafted entirely by Wu-Tang Clan leader The RZA (who also makes a cameo appearance in the film - he's the guy in camouflage who greets Ghost Dog on the sidewalk towards the end). RZA's presence isn't an afterthought - Jarmusch says he had in mind from the start a film with RZA as an equal collaborator.

Isaach De Bankolé is a delightful presence as ice cream truck driver Raymond. Also of note: the scenes featuring a slightly younger version of Ghost Dog are, in fact, filmed with Forest Whitaker's younger brother Damon (thank you, IMDB).

Great show! Well worth five stars!.......2007-06-18

There isn't anything I didn't like about this film. Good old Forrest comes through with another superb performance and makes his character very believable. He portrays Ghost Dog - a very intelligent and thoughtful fellow - in such a way that this individual could be a very likely manifestation within the environment the story takes place in.
Equally, there is no wild and absurd special effects to mar the flow or the potential realism; no fancy super-duper martial arts moves to turn what you're watching into a farce. Ghost Dog is careful. He's deliberate. He consciously regulates his behavior and tries to adhere to the code of the Samurai. He comes across as being quite human - a person who has developed a psychological mechanism to allow him to cope and survive within a depressing and dangerous environment.
There's some humor in this movie too, as well as some telling symbolism. The scenes generating the "feel" of the show are quiet, seedy, gritty, and earthy, and when all these elements are combined with the performance of the cast it makes for a very well-done production.
Too bad there isn't more of this type of show and less of the mindless, ultra-violent, formula-type [....] that is spewed out by the cocain-sniffing hacks in Hollywood year after year.

Ghost Dog with Forest Whitaker.......2007-05-22

This is a very good film. The uniqueness of Whitaker's real-life persona enhances the unique character he brings to the screen. Ghost Dog displays all the discipline of a martial arts master but with a gun in hand. From this perspective he is far removed from the on-screen likes of Bruce Lee, Jim Kelly and Jet Li but equally as deadly. The film does not hide the fact the methods of destruction used by Ghost Dog are not only outlandish but straight out of a cartoon fantasy. This adds to its entertainment value: we know we're being taken for a ride. It's a fun trip. Whitaker's supporting cast round out this excellent ensemble work.

The Limey (Special Edition) / Ghost Dog - The Way of the Samurai (Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

excellent presentation of their craft
Two times Three (stars)

The Limey (Special Edition) / Ghost Dog - The Way of the Samurai (Special Edition)
Starring: Terence Stamp , Lesley Ann Warren , Luis Guzmán , Barry Newman , and Joe Dallesandro
Director: Steven Soderbergh , and Jim Jarmusch
Manufacturer: Live / Artisan
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00005NX0Z
Release Date: 2001-10-23

Amazon.com

The Limey
Steven Soderbergh's follow-up to his sexy thriller Out of Sight is an equally stylish but far more austere crime drama, a work of memory that mixes flashbacks, flashforwards, and ruminations on the present into an invigorating cinematic quilt. Terence Stamp is Wilson, an aging cockney criminal fresh out of prison who flies to Los Angeles to search for his daughter's killer. She died in a car wreck, but he suspects that her lover, a music industry mogul named Valentine (Peter Fonda), knows more than he's telling. Wilson is a fish out of water indeed, a cool, cruel London thug on the airy, sun-bright street of L.A., a silver-haired criminal taking on street punks and hit men with the relentless drive of a man possessed. It's like Get Carter channeled through Point Blank, a hard-edged revenge thriller steeped in sorrow and regret, trading the warmth of Out of Sight's romantic heat for a more contemplative remove. Fonda beautifully plays off his cinematic history of 1960s hippies and rebels as a nervous, cowardly millionaire sellout in white cotton peasant shirts and a deep California tan. Luiz Guzman and Lesley Ann Warren costar as Wilson's "adopted" guides through modern L.A., and Barry Newman is excellent as Valentine's tough, terse head of security, another aging pro blindsided by Wilson's relentless single-mindedness. Soderbergh quotes from Ken Loach's 1967 film Poor Cow (sadly not available on video in the U.S.) for Wilson's flashbacks as a fresh-faced teenage thug. --Sean Axmaker

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
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

Customer Reviews:

excellent presentation of their craft.......2001-12-24

The Limey
Steven Soderbergh tells this tale in an expressive and innovative style. It's not so much the story--estranged English father seeks the truth behind his daughter's suspicious death in sinful Los Angles. But the way each character is presented, then conected. The story unfolds, literally. It is like watching a flower bloom with elapsed-time photography. Terrance Stamp is great. Peter Fonda is more than just window dressing here. And the editor deserves a standing ovation.

Ghost Dog
Forrest Whittaker is one of the truly great actors of the day. His work is that of a fine craftsman, and so rare in Hollywood today. The story is interspersed with relative narations from Rashomon by Ryunosuke Akutagawa--tales of Japanese karma (also available on Amazon). The mafia characters I feel ambivalent about. On one hand they lack depth and their laughability detracts from what otherwise is an interesting, thoughtful film. However, they represent a more realistic look at what some aging and less-than-organized crime associates are. These would be the Sopranos rejects. If you can get past the mafia club scene, they fit right in with the story.

Two times Three (stars).......2001-11-18

Both films were fun and clever. The Limey's flashbacks and Ghost Dog's street smarts made both film a good time. No disappointments here.

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai [Region 2]

Average customer rating:

Its a good viewpoint to see this film as a dream

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai [Region 2]
Starring: Forest Whitaker , John Tormey , Cliff Gorman , Dennis Liu , and Frank Minucci
Director: Jim Jarmusch
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00004U9Q9

Customer Reviews:

Its a good viewpoint to see this film as a dream.......2006-12-09

This one of the most amazing films I have ever seen. Many people would shrug it off as a cheesy samuri mob movie, but it is much more. Its creates a world that is both steeped in the ancient ways and the new way of life that is taking it over. And also the way it splices pages of Hagakure, the book of the samuri, into the movie is revolutionary.
This is a must see on so many levels.

Average customer rating:

Minimalist Action Film
Great acting
Another fully-formed invetion from the singularly creative mind of Jim Jarmusch
Great show! Well worth five stars!
Ghost Dog with Forest Whitaker

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai [Region 2]
Starring: Forest Whitaker , John Tormey , Cliff Gorman , Dennis Liu , and Frank Minucci
Director: Jim Jarmusch
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00004X0VW

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Minimalist Action Film.......2007-08-09

Great acting.......2007-07-24

Another fully-formed invetion from the singularly creative mind of Jim Jarmusch.......2007-07-21

Great show! Well worth five stars!.......2007-06-18

Ghost Dog with Forest Whitaker.......2007-05-22

Average customer rating:

Minimalist Action Film
Great acting
Another fully-formed invetion from the singularly creative mind of Jim Jarmusch
Great show! Well worth five stars!
Ghost Dog with Forest Whitaker

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai [Region 2]
Starring: Forest Whitaker , John Tormey , Cliff Gorman , Dennis Liu , and Frank Minucci
Director: Jim Jarmusch
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00005JJAR

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Minimalist Action Film.......2007-08-09

Great acting.......2007-07-24

Another fully-formed invetion from the singularly creative mind of Jim Jarmusch.......2007-07-21

Great show! Well worth five stars!.......2007-06-18

Ghost Dog with Forest Whitaker.......2007-05-22

Average customer rating:

Minimalist Action Film
Great acting
Another fully-formed invetion from the singularly creative mind of Jim Jarmusch
Great show! Well worth five stars!
Ghost Dog with Forest Whitaker

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai [Region 2]
Starring: Forest Whitaker , John Tormey , Cliff Gorman , Dennis Liu , and Frank Minucci
Director: Jim Jarmusch
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00004ZBVW

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Minimalist Action Film.......2007-08-09

Great acting.......2007-07-24

Another fully-formed invetion from the singularly creative mind of Jim Jarmusch.......2007-07-21

Great show! Well worth five stars!.......2007-06-18

Ghost Dog with Forest Whitaker.......2007-05-22

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