Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)

Dir. Jim Jarmusch

Ghost Dog is a loner but he's well-respected. He lives in a modern American city but follows dutifully an ancient Samurai code as outlined in Yamamoto Tsunetomo's Hagakure. The code guides him and shapes his morality in his role as a perfect assassin for the Mafia.

The lives of the gangsters are empty and wasteful. In contrast, Ghost Dog's life is filled with meaning and purpose. It's an unusual, romanticised one that he's created himself, but that doesn't make it any less noble.

Forest Whitaker is a superb actor. He can make an average film good. It follows, then, that he can make a great film like Jarmusch's Ghost Dog even more exceptional, which is exactly what he does. He brings a beautifully understated sense of sincerity to the role.

It's not essential, but familiarity with chanbara cinema will greatly increase your understanding of the film's themes and enrich your enjoyment of many other aspects of the story.