Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai – (1999) Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch (his films share some elements with David Lynch’s works), Ghost Dog (Forest Whitaker) is a contract killer for Louie, a member of Ray Vargo’s New Jersey mob. By happenstance eight years earlier Louie rescued Ghost Dog from a beating and killing. According to Hagakure, a samurai devotes his body and soul to his master. A samurai meditates daily on death.

For the past four years Ghost Dog has performed a dozen perfect contracts for Louie, but when he whacked Handsome Frank, unbeknownst to Ghost Dog, Mr Vargo’s daughter was with Handsome Frank in the room. She dropped her paperback copy of Rashomon and told Ghost Dog: “You can have it. I’m finished with it.” Ghost Dog communicates with Louie by carrier pigeon. Mr Vargo sends his thugs out to find and kill a big black man who lives in a shack on an apartment roof with a columbary.

According to Hagakure, matters of great concern should be treated lightly while matters of little concern should be treated seriously. Ghost Dog’s best friend, with whom he plays chess, has an ice-cream truck and speaks only French, yet they manage to communicate; Pearline, a young black girl, shares her interest in books with Ghost Dog, who offers her Rashomon to read. The world is changing: the traditions of old tribes are being replaced by new views and values, such as feminism and multiculturalism.

According to Hagakure, a samurai should live life moment to moment, attentive to the present, as if in a dream, for life is an illusion. When Ghost Dog finds his pigeons have been slaughtered, he goes after the members of the mob with a single-minded vengeance. (Note the cartoon on the TV screen that precedes the method employed to rub out Sonny, who has a passion for rap music.) According to Hagakure, which Ghost Dog also hands over to Pearline: “The end is important in all things.”

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in video and/or DVD format, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2007 Patrick Ivers. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

Patrick Ivers can be reached via e-mail at .