Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
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A mafia hitman who adheres to the ancient warrior code of the samurai finds himself hunted by the very organization he serves.
The story
Ghost Dog is a hitman for the American Mafia who lives by the ancient warrior code of the samurai, interpreting the wisdom of the Hagakure. He serves as a retainer for a local mobster named Louie, who saved his life years ago. When Louie tasks Ghost Dog with killing a gangster who is involved with the daughter of a powerful mafia boss, Vargo, Ghost Dog completes the hit but spares the girl. This act puts Ghost Dog in the crosshairs of Vargo and his associates, who begin a systematic search to eliminate the mysterious hitman.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Ghost Dog, a hitman for the American Mafia, follows the samurai code of the Hagakure. After killing a gangster for his master Louie, Ghost Dog spares the man's daughter, leading the mafia boss Vargo to hunt him down. While Ghost Dog maintains a quiet life, befriending a French ice cream man named Raymond and a girl named Pearline, the mobsters track him to his cabin and kill his pigeons. Realizing he must strike first, Ghost Dog invades Vargo's mansion and kills nearly everyone, sparing only Louie and Vargo's daughter. He then kills Sonny Valerio at his home. Ghost Dog gives Raymond his money to flee the country and gives Pearline his copy of Hagakure. Finally, Louie confronts Ghost Dog at Raymond's ice cream stand. Ghost Dog, unwilling to attack his master, allows Louie to kill him. Before dying, he gives Louie a copy of Rashōmon. Pearline takes Ghost Dog's gun and aims it at Louie as he flees, while Vargo's daughter takes over as the new boss.
- First release year
- 1999
- Runtime (minutes)
- 116
- Production countries
- United States; France; Germany; Japan
- Original languages
- English; French
- Directors
- Jim Jarmusch
- Writers
- Jim Jarmusch · writer; Jim Jarmusch · producer
- Cast and characters
- Forest Whitaker · Ghost Dog; Cliff Gorman; Henry Silva; Isaach de Bankolé; Victor Argo; Camille Winbush
- Genres
- crime drama; crime action
- Themes
- Violence as a reflection of human history; Cross-cultural synthesis; Warrior codes; Loneliness and alienation
- Tone and mood
- Deadpan; Meditative; Profoundly weird; Innovative
- Premise and plot tags
- Hitman; Mafia; Samurai Code; Contract Killing
- Source material / true-story basis
- Hagakure (recorded sayings of Yamamoto Tsunetomo)
- Content notes
- Violence
- Reception
- The film opened to largely positive critical reception, with an 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 68 on Metacritic.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 84% · review count: 106; Metacritic · score: 68 · review count: 31
- Awards and nominations
- Grand Prix · Belgian Syndicate of Cinema Critics · 2000 · Nominated; César Award · Best Foreign Film · 2000 · Nominated; Palme d'Or · Cannes Film Festival · 1999 · Nominated; Best Feature · 16th Independent Spirit Awards · 2000 · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The film is interpreted as a homage to Le Samouraï.; The film features clips from The Itchy & Scratchy Show.; The film's score is the first produced by the Wu-Tang Clan's RZA.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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