Ghost Dog - The Way of the Samurai

Rating:
Summary: Unique and Original
Review: There isn't much to add to the reviews already written for this movie, but I thought I'd throw my two cents in. First, a comment about the "Action" in this movie. It seems that a lot of people find this to be one of the weaker parts of the movie, as Jarmusch is not an action director by any means. Personally, I found it to be excellent. The actions scenes are usually simple, clean, and beautiful. The deaths are quick and efficient, just like the way a Samurai kills. They reminded me of the style of Japanese Samurai films. No extended firefights or brawls, just a few quick slashes of the sword, or in this case, a few quick squeezes of the trigger, and the enemies fall. Jarmusch is like a Samurai director. The camera lingers on the seemingly inconsequential and minor details, like a Haiku. The most telling moments are in the inbetween conversations between characters, the moments of comedy and relaxation. Then there is a sharp moment of some critical event, an assasination or some such event, and then the haiku flows again. A beautiful film, with more than its fair share of comedy and insight.

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Summary: Huh...?
Review: I really wanted to like this movie. I really did.

Forest Whitaker plays an urban Mob assassin who lives his life by the code of the Samurai. When a hit gets witnessd by the Don's Daughter, he becomes a liability, and is targeted for termination. Director Jim Jarmusch seems to be an acquired taste, and I guess I ain't acquired it. The movie is WAAAY too long, and the meager plot is padded mercilessly by rapping Mobsters, French-speaking Ice-Cream vendors, a cute kid, a shouting old man, clothing thefts, etc. The movie takes avant-garde to a whole new level, and while there were parts that I enjoyed, it was just a little too weird for me to recommend.

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Summary: Modern Mobster...Samurai
Review: Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is a fascinating flick - an odd hybrid, two parts gangster epic, one part philosophical journey of self-discovery. Forrest Whitaker (Phenomenon, Good Morning Vietnam) is Ghost Dog, a loner, who considers himself a "retainer" (servant/protector) to a mobster named Lou (John Tormey) who once saved his life.

Ghost Dog is a seeker, studying the Hagakure (The Code of the Samurai). Throughout the film, he reads passages from the Hagakure that highlight his own personal code. Passages like, "Each day a samurai should contemplate his own death and consider various ways of dying, from being torn apart in the jaws of a wild beast, to falling from thousand foot cliffs, and during some part of the day, the samurai should consider himself dead."

Ghost Dog's "best friend" is a Haitian ice cream vendor (Isaac DeBankole), despite the fact that Whitaker's character understands no French and the ice cream vendor doesn't understand English. His only other real human contact is with a young girl, maybe 10 years old, named Pearline (Camille Winbush).

Lou contacts Ghost Dog via carrier pigeon and pays him for his contract killings once a year...Lou doesn't know anything else about his contract killer, not his given name, not even where he lives. This becomes the fulcrum for some very dark comedy.

When a hit goes awry and Lou's associates look to eliminate Ghost Dog, Lou's inability to provide details makes for some darkly comedic confrontations. Veteran screen villain Henry Silva is cold and bizarre as mob boss Ray Vargo, while Cliff Gorman (Sonny Valerio) provides a comic absurdity (a mafia hit man who's also a rap aficionado) rivaled only by the communication between Ghost Dog and the ice cream vendor that transcends language.

Much of the background score is provided by the Staten Island based rap group, Wu Tang Clan, which gives it a real gritty, streety feel. Much of the film moves at a crawl and you get the impression that Forrest Whitaker wanted to state something more, that just doesn't translate onto film.

The story is dark and in spots absurdly ridiculous (the mobsters all seem obsessed with old cartoons), but it doesn't glorify violence the way many gangster flicks do. Still, it leaves you looking for more.

I've thought about this and part of it may be that Ghost Dog seems to be a reluctant hero in much the same vein as Brandon Lee's The Crow or Sam Rami's Darkman, but seems to fall a little short, but that may be an illusion. Both Darkman and The Crow are offered up as supernatural creatures (The Crow returns from the dead for vengeance and Darkman is supposedly bestowed with an almost infinite pain threshold due to nerve damage), while Ghost Dog is a living, bleeding, loner, so he can't be compared to those kind of protagonists.

The ending of this film, like that of Shyamalan's Unbreakable will probably leave many westerners cold. Here it seems almost taboo when good fails to triumph outright over evil.

I liked this film, even though I felt it reached for more than it could deliver, just as I liked Unbreakable (that may give you a clue as to whether this is your kind of film), but I'd recommend it with four stars out of five. If it had delivered all that it reached for, it would've been a sure fire five!

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Summary: It's funny and stylish...
Review: I would like to talk about main character that is a title of this film whose name is Ghost Dog. He always read commandments of Samurai and lives with pigeons, which are like his friends at the top of the building, where is ruined, look like a remote island in the city. He seems to be a lonely gunman and a last descendant of Samurai. The book which Ghost Dog read and store, is a ¡°the way of the Samurai¡±. This book is packed with spiritual world of the Samurai for serving master. He risks his life several times for master, but these stories do not look like a masculine or heroic scenes.

It shows delicate differences by using three times flash back. In these scenes, the gangster¡¯s the point of the gun are different, it explains that same situation can be accepted differently as people¡¯s eyes or consciousness. So, Ghost Dog, he accept the master who is a worthless and altogether unspeakable villain, as a being that he should be loyal no matter how he risks his life. He has a master who saves him from gangsters of the town and is a one of Italian family gangsters who become an enemy of Ghost Dog and are all old, infirm with grizzled hair, and fat-bellied. They swollen with pride about that, but they did not pay the rent of their hideout so when owner came to see them, they always are busy to avoid his eyes.

In addition, they like to watch an animation and sing a rap with ill matched. These Gangsters do not look like a gangster, they are the third rate, and this is a paradoxical expression. Ghost Dog, who looks like an isolated island, has a friend who can speak only French. Nevertheless, the language has no problem between them. They can understand each other no matter how they speak different language. In addition, Ghost Dog and little girl read a book, which is a scripture of Japan. This film is a story of communication that jumps over the boundary. In this film, they casually overcome language, age, ideology and boundary of between the East and the West, which can interrupt to understand people¡¯s communication.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Vergence of Cultures
Review: This is a different kind of movie. The main character models his life to fit the ancient philosophy of the Samurai. (warning: possible spoilers) He has sworn to serve the man who saved his life, who happens to be a member of a Mafia family. The tone of the film is contemplative, scenes interspersed with readings from an ancient Samurai text. I found the three characters who headed the Mafia family to be very entertaining in and of themselves. The film is also laced with cartoons, which the Italian characters are watching. They are mostly violent chartoons, and provide an interesting comparison to the storyline. The music was interesting and very well-matched to the film. There is a documentary included in the film, which is mostly a report of the vision behind the film. There are also a few outtakes, a music video and musical selection. There is much to see here. Highly recommended.

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Summary: Best Movie Ever
Review: Honestly, this is my favorite movie of all time. This is a movie where everything comes together. I would really reccomond this movie to anyone.

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Summary: Gangster, assassin, ancient asian philosophy.
Review: What a peculiar mix: a gangster/assassin/asian philosopher. But I guess it's the peculiar that I'm drawn to, because this movie is one of my favorites, despite its certain lacks. Ghost Dog lives alone atop a building with the pingeons, and is bound forever by honor to do "favors" for the Italian mobster who once saved his life. But alas, one hit goes bad and the modern-day samauri is drawn deeper and deeper into danger in order to maintain his honor. A spicy hip-hop soundtrack adds flavor to this already-interesting blend.

Rating:
Summary: Kurosawa Meets 'The Sopranos'...
Review: ....meets Sergio Leone and The Hughes Brothers.

I, too, was initially unsold on the idea of Whitaker as Samurai. But overall the movie works on many levels. Humor like how Ghost Dog repeats whatever his Haitian ice cream vendor buddy says and vice versa (the Haitian speaks French but no English and Ghost Dog speaks English but no French) and the one mob member (who gets offed the worst and the funniest) who likes Public Enemy and know the words to their records better than probably your average hip-hop fan is great, but not too heavy handed. Passages of the Samurai teachings are dispersed thru out the film to punctuate the varous moods and actions. Look out for The Bernie Mac Show's Vanessa (Camille Winbush) as the reluctant, unknowing Samurai initiate. I could see an independent comicbook or a strange sequel to this with the same flavor. Try it out, you will enjoy it.

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Summary: The best movie i have ever seen.
Review: There is nothing else to say about this movie except that it was a masterpiece.It changed my views on life and made my attitude about things more positive.I enjoy life better because of this movie,I can't say that about anything else...

Rating:
Summary: A must see for those who love cool movies!
Review: My brother was the one who convinced me to see this movie, and usually his reccomendation means the movie isn't worth my time. But this time he hit the Jackpot. The best thing about the moviem, I thought, were the quotes from the Samurai's code. They really enlightened my views on certain things.

But if I were going to give you one reason to see this movie it would be for the music. The way that the music flows everything together is amazing, and I very much dislike rap. This movie however is accented sooo well by uit that you can't help but love it. I hope you do see it, buy it rent it, watch it on a premium channel, just see it!