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    Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

    • 19991999
    • RR
    • 1h 56min
    IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    86K
    YOUR RATING
    • Cast & crew
    • User reviews
    • Trivia
    • IMDbPro
    Forest Whitaker in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
    Home Video Trailer from Artisan
    Trailer1:30
    2 Videos
    99+ Photos
    ActionCrimeDrama

    An African-American Mafia hit man who models himself after the samurai of old finds himself targeted for death by the mob.An African-American Mafia hit man who models himself after the samurai of old finds himself targeted for death by the mob.An African-American Mafia hit man who models himself after the samurai of old finds himself targeted for death by the mob.An African-American Mafia hit man who models himself after the samurai of old finds himself targeted for death by the mob.An African-American Mafia hit man who models himself after the samurai of old finds himself targeted for death by the mob.

    • Director
      • Jim Jarmusch
    • Writer
      • Jim Jarmusch
    • Stars
      • Forest Whitaker
      • Henry Silva
      • John Tormey
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Jim Jarmusch
    • Writer
      • Jim Jarmusch
    • Stars
      • Forest Whitaker
      • Henry Silva
      • John Tormey
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 364User reviews
    • 168Critic reviews
    • 67Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 8 nominations

    Videos2

    Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
    Trailer 1:30
    Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
    Bill Murray vs. Zombies? We're Dying for 'The Dead Don't Die'
    Clip 3:12
    Bill Murray vs. Zombies? We're Dying for 'The Dead Don't Die'

    Photos121

    Forest Whitaker in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
    Forest Whitaker in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
    Forest Whitaker in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
    Forest Whitaker in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
    Forest Whitaker in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
    Forest Whitaker in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
    Forest Whitaker and RZA in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
    Forest Whitaker in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
    Forest Whitaker in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
    Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
    Forest Whitaker in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
    Forest Whitaker in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Forest Whitaker
    Forest Whitaker
    • Ghost Dogas Ghost Dog
    Henry Silva
    Henry Silva
    • Ray Vargoas Ray Vargo
    John Tormey
    John Tormey
    • Louieas Louie
    Cliff Gorman
    Cliff Gorman
    • Sonny Valerioas Sonny Valerio
    Dennis Liu
    • Chinese Restaurant Owneras Chinese Restaurant Owner
    Frank Minucci
    • Big Angieas Big Angie
    Richard Portnow
    Richard Portnow
    • Handsome Frankas Handsome Frank
    Tricia Vessey
    Tricia Vessey
    • Louise Vargoas Louise Vargo
    Gene Ruffini
    • Old Consigliereas Old Consigliere
    Frank Adonis
    Frank Adonis
    • Valerio's Bodyguardas Valerio's Bodyguard
    Victor Argo
    Victor Argo
    • Vinnyas Vinny
    Damon Whitaker
    Damon Whitaker
    • Young Ghost Dogas Young Ghost Dog
    Kenny Guay
    • Boy in Windowas Boy in Window
    Vince Viverito
    • Johnny Morinias Johnny Morini
    Gano Grills
    • Gangsta in Redas Gangsta in Red
    Touché Cornel
    • Gangsta in Redas Gangsta in Red
    Jamie Hector
    Jamie Hector
    • Gangsta in Redas Gangsta in Red
    Chuck Jeffreys
    Chuck Jeffreys
    • Muggeras Mugger
    • Director
      • Jim Jarmusch
    • Writer
      • Jim Jarmusch
    • All cast & crew
    See production, box office, & company info

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    Storyline

    Edit
    A hitman who lives by the code of the samurai, works for the mafia and finds himself in their crosshairs when his recent job doesn't go according to plan. Now he must find a way to defend himself and his honor while retaining the code he lives by. —Scott Jarreau
    crime bosssamuraiafrican americanhitmanpigeon310 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • All assassins live beyond the law... only one follows the code
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Crime
      • Drama
      • Thriller
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated R for strong violence and language
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Jim Jarmusch stated in an interview that he wrote the role of Ghost Dog specifically for Forest Whitaker, and if Whitaker hadn't taken the role, the film probably would not have been made.
    • Goofs
      Drains have traps, thus making it impossible to shoot someone through them.
    • Quotes

      Ghost Dog: There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to everything.

    • Crazy credits
      The second to last person thanked at the credits' close is Akira Kurosawa--the Japanese filmmaker who filmed one of the Ghost Dog's central texts, Rashomon.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Instinct/The Loss of Sexual Innocence/Limbo (1999)
    • Soundtracks
      Ice-Cream
      (instrumental mix)

      Written by R. Diggs and C. Woods

      Produced, mixed and arranged by RZA for Wu-Tang Productions, Inc.

      Published by Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc.

      On behalf of Ramecca Music and Wu-Tang Publishing (BMI)

      Featuring Ghostface Killah, Cappadonna and Raekwon

      Raekwon appears courtesy of Loud Records

    User reviews364

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    East meets West. Gangsta meets Gangster.
    I almost hated this movie. At first I didn't understand the too-cool-for-school attitudes mixed with ridiculous situations. But then, as a fan of Jarmusch films, I realized that Jarmusch is never to be taken 100% seriously. Films like "Dead Man", "Down By Law" and especially "Coffee and Cigarettes" should teach us that JJ is a master of deadpan comedy.

    Of all the Jarmusch films I've seen, "Ghost Dog" is the deadest of the deadpan, meaning it's done with such a straight face you might misconstrue the jokes as flaws. Little things like the way the hero holsters his gun (by whipping it around like a sword) or the mafia's obsession with cartoons, or the outrageous ways the hero manages things (the plumbing scene is an absolute RIOT!)--these are all part of Jarmusch's peculiar humour.

    Once you grasp that, you can move on to the poetry behind it all. In a nutshell, this film is about discontinuity. A gangsta from the 'hood listens to rap while studying 18th century samurai philosophy. Meanwhile, the most powerful mafia family in the city can't pay the rent (and the most feared boss in town is nutty as an acorn). Meanwhile, there's a French guy in the park who can't speak a word of English but can understand our hero perfectly. If you watch this movie, stay on the lookout for this kind of stuff peppered throughout.

    There are periodic vignettes of Eastern philosophy which may confuse, confound or plain irritate you. I found it helped to pause the film each time so I could read & digest them fully. Be aware, some of it is intended to be a bit silly (like the one about samurai makeup tips. Yes, the book "Hagakure" talks about eeeeverything).

    And a final key to enjoying this film is to understand the reference to "Rashomon" which appears several times. The story they reference (also the film by Kurosawa) is all about subjective perception and distortions of truth. In keeping with that, Jarmusch takes a somewhat expressionistic approach to his camera work, often making you feel as if you're in a dream. Recurring symbolism fits in perfectly.

    I have some minor criticisms of this film but nothing that should make you want to avoid seeing it, so I'll keep that to myself. Overall, this was both entertaining and philosophical. Heavily weighted on the philosophy.
    helpful•4
    1
    • rooprect
    • Mar 18, 2010

    FAQ1

    • What are the quotations from "The Book of the Samurai" in the order in which they appear in the film?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 24, 2000 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • France
      • Germany
      • United States
      • Japan
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • El Camino del Samurái
    • Filming locations
      • New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Pandora Filmproduktion
      • ARD (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland)
      • ARD Degeto Film
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $3,308,029
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $166,344
      • Mar 5, 2000
    • Gross worldwide
      • $9,380,473
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 56min
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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