IMDb > Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
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Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 3 NEW)
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999) -- An African American mafia hit man who models himself after the samurai of old finds himself targeted for death by the mob.
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999) -- ZuGuide.com - Trailer (Flash)
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.5/10   32,880 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Jim Jarmusch
Writer:
Jim Jarmusch (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
6 October 1999 (France) more
Genre:
Crime | Drama | Thriller more
Tagline:
All assassins live beyond the law... only one follows the code more
Plot:
An African American mafia hit man who models himself after the samurai of old finds himself targeted for death by the mob. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
5 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(26 articles)
Entertainment Weekly Lists the 25 Best Soundtracks from the Past 25 Years
 (From Collider.com. 3 November 2009, 2:34 PM, PST)

1999: A Year In Review (Part Two)
 (From Screen Rant. 14 October 2009, 8:05 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
A Tour de Force for Whitaker more (319 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Ghost Dog (Australia)
Ghost Dog - Der Weg des Samurai (Germany)
Ghost Dog, la voie du samouraï (France)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for strong violence and language.
Runtime:
116 min
Language:
English | French
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The character Sonny Valerio is a big fan of Public Enemy. Jim Jarmusch was inspired to write this after reading that incarcerated Mafiosos loved listening to hardcore hip-hop. more
Goofs:
Miscellaneous: When Ghostdog was driving his first stolen car, the in-car scenes show the headlight on. But during the outside shots, it shows the headlight off, only the dimmer driving light on. Then later when he parked, it shows the headlight on again. more
Quotes:
Samurai in Camouflage: Ghost Dog, power, equality.
Ghost Dog: Always see everything, my brother.
more
Movie Connections:
References Dead Man (1995) more
Soundtrack:
Dangerous Fun more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
59 out of 74 people found the following comment useful.
A Tour de Force for Whitaker, 27 August 2004
10/10
Author: redheadgrrl from New York

Men clinging to noble, outdated ideals in a world that no longer cares about such things: that's the concept here. Whitaker shows amazing strength and control in an antihero role that is necessarily secretive and subdued. Silva and Tormey turn in solid performances -- Tormey is especially poignant as the second-fiddle mafioso, torn between his admiration of Ghost Dog and his devotion to his own sempai (Silva).

The excellent soundtrack, courtesy of RZA, adds its own somber-yet-hip mood to the work. Jarmusch frames his characters on rooftops, on 'hood byways, in mansions, in the back rooms of Chinese restaurants, and everywhere there is a feeling of the walls closing in, of things coming to an end, of finality. See it. It's a good movie.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (319 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Stealing the couple`s clothes 1bilbo
The Dog in the middle of the movie arielrosenfelder
Was Louie shot with a ghost bullet? annikaappelin
The suit Ghostdog gives to Raymond... teapotasterism
RZA appearance... disturbednakedchild
Similarities with 'On the Waterfront' scoot1192
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