Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Roman Sampson One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Christopher Culver The eponymous protagonist of Jim Jarmusch's 1999 film GHOST DOG is an African-American hit-man (Forest Whitaker) working for an Italian mafia in New Jersey and living according to the Hagakure, Japan's samurai code. After a hit goes wrong through no fault of the assassin's own, his mafia liaison Louie (John Tormey) is sympathetic, but explains that his superiors now want Ghost Dog dead. The film follows Ghost Dog's revenge and depicts a clash between two ancient tribes that both seem out of date in this modern world: Ghost Dog's samurai code and Italian mafia ideas of loyalty.Jarmusch has always been open about the fact that he soaks up a huge number of inspirations from earlier films, books, and music and then lets them reflect in his own work. Any cinephile will instantly recognize Jean-Pierre Melville's 1967 film "Le Samouraï" as the point of departure for GHOST DOG. In Meville's classic, a Parisian hired assassin lives according to a strict code. But Melville didn't really know much about Japan, and even the quotation from a samurai text at the beginning of his film was just made up by Meville himself. Jarmusch seems to have decided, "OK, I'll show you a hired-assassin film that's *really* rooted in the code of the Samurai". Forest Whitaker quotes from Hagakure throughout the film, and there are also references to the work of Akira Kurosawa.But GHOST DOG is not a remake, and Jarmusch takes the basic premise in a very individual direction. There's a lot of humour here, something missing from the serious Melville inspiration. In casting for the mafia dons, Jarmusch chose faces as brutal and distinctive as Dick Tracy's rogues gallery: Henry Silva as the don, and Cliff Gorman and . But Jarmusch then gives them the occasional zany line that cracks that chilling façade. Isaach de Bankole plays a supporting role as a French-speaking Haitian immigrant and Ghost Dog's best friend, a role that is pure comic relief because the man doesn't speak English and Ghost Dog doesn't understand French, but they always manage to understand each other.Until the late 1990s, Jarmusch had mainly been known as a fairly low-budget independent filmmaker writing cute little stories about personal relationships in low-key American life. Jarmusch's America was consistently depicted as run-down neighbourhoods and overgrown vacant lots. With its generous budget, large cast and special effects, GHOST DOG marked a huge leap forward in Jarmusch's work. Still, it maintains Jarmusch's interest in America as a land of urban blight and seedy underbellies: most of the film takes place in an ugly New Jersey urban setting. Furthermore, instead of being glamorized, the Italian mafia is depicted as a spent force, mainly elderly men who can't rake in the cash and influence they used to, and even forced to pay protection money to Chinese newcomers. As the film reaches its shocking ending, the glamour is drained from Ghost Dog's warrior code, as well.The music for GHOST DOG was provided by RZA, at the time still best known as part of the Wu-Tang Clan. The music mainly consists of wordless beats, though, with actual rapping only at a few points. Personally, I find the use of hip-hop a weak point of the film (Jarmusch looks like an outsider looking in to this scene, unable to organically make it part of his own work), and RZA's insistence on appearing in the film itself disrupts the rhythm of the film's climax.

Leofwine_draca Once in a while a film comes along that is so profound, that you actually feel a better person for watching it. GHOST DOG is one such film, a totally unique movie experience that carries out a familiar story in a way that has never been filmed before or will ever be filmed again. An art-house movie masquerading as a conventional thriller, this effort from director Jim Jarmusch is outstanding in every department. Of course, as is usually the case with the best films, it seems to have totally slipped by the mainstream audience for a small, unadvertised video release where it can be savoured by those wise enough to pick it out from the trash.Forest Whitaker is awesome in the leading role of Ghost Dog, a literature-loving hit-man who has been reborn as a samurai and leads his life according to strict rules which must be obeyed at any cost. Ghost Dog's home is on the roof of a building, surrounded by his beloved pigeons. His best friend is an ice cream vendor who can't speak English, just one of the many deeply human and interesting characters in this atypical thriller. Although the plot is simple and straightforward, the characters involved in the story are deep, thoughtful and all too realistic in some cases. Drama and social interaction is blended nicely with the thriller aspects of the story. Here's a film where long talk about books is just as exciting as a violent shoot-out and I don't think many movies can achieve that effect.Aside from Whitaker's excellent turn in the lead (it really is a once in a lifetime performance), there are a dozen other great performances in the movie. The mafia family who act as the villains of the piece (refreshingly the black community isn't portrayed as a violent, hate-ridden society) are actually fleshed out; instead of being hard men, ruthless killers, they are instead ageing, tired, very human characters who have to act the way they do. Just like Ghost Dog's Samurai, the Mafia for them is a way of life. Henry Silva makes a surprising appearance as the mafia don and his performance is also superb, I loved his impression of an elk. Despite Silva's advanced years he's still capable of giving great performances and it's a shame we don't see him in more mainstream movies these days.GHOST DOG also fulfils itself as an action thriller with some irregular but fascinating action scenes which are magnificently shot; the pinnacle being the shoot-out at the country mansion. These bloody gun battles remind me of the climax of CARLITO'S WAY, De Palma's similarly excellent crime drama. But such action is only part of the story and the best bits are those which don't have violence or even dialogue; witnessing Ghost Dog's interactions with his best friend (the two characters brought together through common understanding rather than speech) and his almost tutor-like interactions with the young black girl. The ending is surprisingly poignant but also very fitting. A great movie which deserves a wider audience, GHOST DOG is a fascinating and intelligent piece of art which easily transcends the boundaries of film-making itself. I don't think I've seen a film in which every single shot has been beautifully composed before.

Paul Magne Haakonsen "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai" is one of those movies that might have seemed like a really god idea on script and in concept idea, but translated to the screen not so much. Why? Well, because the storyline was not overly great and the cinematography even less so.The idea of an Afro-American hit-man who lives by the ancient Bushido code just didn't Work as well as the writers might have intended. Nothing racism or anything here, just an observation on the character and how the character didn't really fit into the Bushido creed. But making matters worse was to have a barrel-shaped man trying to put the art of the Samurai to the screen. With all due respect for Forest Whitaker and his great acting talent, then he was just the wrong physical choice for the role of Ghost Dog.I will say that Forest Whitaker does play well in "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai", despite being wrongly cast for the role, but he ended up looking like a fish out of water.Once the movie ended, I sat with a very bored feeling and thinking 'what was the purpose of this movie?' "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai" wasn't innovative or spectacular in any way. And the overall impression is of a below average movie experience.

rbferre "Ghost Dog" is for me the best Forest Whithaker's movie. It was a great surprised when I saw it after so many years after its release in 1999. Jim Jarmusch made a movie to please audiences a big broader that the typical art movie fans who follow him.His idea of mixing ancient "cultures" works well as both a tribute and a parody at the same time. The laughs are not constant but there are definitely scenes that will make you smile when you realize the connections.The mafia guys are representing a declining tribe which used to rule businesses and now are limited to 60 year olds who still take care of the family. Some quotes really represent that declining era - for example when the big boss says he was expecting for Ghost Dog and buttons down his jacket, or one of the mafia guys says he will at least die as a gangster, those are clear references to their feelings over the end of their era and the reality of present times. The gangsters are all very cartoonish, and the 50's cartoons are there throughout the movie being watched by the gangsters who are mesmerized by the scenes that mimic the movie plot. Those cartoons are also a tribute to times that can't come back any longer. On the other hand, the way of the samurai remits us to another ancient culture, which insists in stay alive and relevant - through Ghost Dog, the mafia girl or the young lady who Ghost Dog mentors. The sword is briefly shown and replaced by contemporary weapons, but the thoughts of wisdom are there, well applied throughout the movie, and make us think about its applications. This is significantly helped by the pace of the movie being interrupted by those metaphoric passages of the book. The passenger pigeons are a poetic remembrance of the beginning of the century, and illustrate how Ghost Dog likes the old values. Finally, another declining icon, the ice cream truck, is shown extensively to help make the connection between two men who merely have in common their ancient roots in Africa. They don't even speak the same language, but almost read each others minds.Excellent movie by Jarmusch, who chose to use a heavier tone on purpose, maybe to please a broader audience, maybe to pay tribute to another era - of gangsters, westerns, respect, and - why not - romance. Enjoy!