Ghost Dog - The Way of the Samurai
Ghost Dog – The Way of the Samurai is a 1999 film directed by Jim Jarmusch. It takes place somewhere in the present day United States.
Spoiler Warning: This Will Give Away Most Of The Movie
In the film Forest Whitaker plays an African American hitman working for the Mafia, called Ghost Dog, who follows the ancient code of the samurai as described in Yamamoto Tsunetomo's guide for a warrior, Hagakure.
The movie stresses the conflict between two codes of conduct, that of the (aging) mobsters (incapable of paying the rent of their meeting place) and the one of the samurai, chosen by Ghost Dog. However, it also mentions that both tribes of honor are dying out. There is a certain sense of inevitability in the movie, and also of honor, portrayed by Ghost Dog killing two hunters he encounters on the road with a dead bear, outside the hunting season.
The movie is deeply symbolic and touches on many cultural aspects of the world. A large amount of the plot and points are unexplained and can only be fully understood after carful notice and interpertation of the small movements, statements, and views.
Between the acts a quotation from Hagakure is screened and read by Ghost Dog. Also one of the main reoccuring events is also the watching of small clips of cartoons. This is to show 3 things: 1: The true meaning/subject of the cartoon is shown in the film, showing that in the present day the value of the lesson or teaching of the experence is now just entertainment rather than truth. 2: Each time a cartoon is shown, the people (always mopsters) should have been doing something more important and/or meaningful. (Reading a classic novel, talking to eachother, making a "get a way" or on alert for attack and protecting themselfs.) This is shown by the fact of books, guns, or people being together.
-- Books Shown In The Movie --
Hagakure Rashomon The Souls of Black Folk The Wind in the Willows Frankenstein Night Nurse (A sleezy romance novel)
-- The Ending --
Considering many elements in the movie are not explained fully, it forces the viewer to come to their own conclusions. It is widly believed that in accuallity, the daughter of the Sonny Valerio was accually running the mob all along. Because she was sleeping with "Hansome" Frank is why Frank had to be killed, but since Miss. Valerio saw the killing happen, she demanded the Ghost Dog to be killed to avenge "Hansome" Frank.
The soundtrack was written and produced by the Wu-Tang Clan's RZA, who also has a small role in the film.
External links
Categories: 1999 films | Action films | Drama films