GHOST DOG: THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI

US, 1999, 116 minutes, Colour.

Forest Whitaker, John Tormey, Cliff Gorman, Richard Port now, Tricia Vessey, Henry Silver, Victor Argo, Camille Wimbush, Isaach de Bankole.

Directed by Jim Jarmusch.

Ghost Dog is a striking film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. In the late 1980s, Jarmusch established himself as a specialist and significant Dir, initially working on small budgets. His reputation increased during the 1990s with such films as Dead Man. He continued working through the first two decades of the 21^st-century.

This is an unexpected film. It is reminiscent in some ways of Jean-Pierre Melville’s gangster film, the Samourai. This time the samurai hitman is played by forest Whitaker, dressed in black, hairstyle, laconic, reading his Samurai texts which are seen on screen but which move very rapidly, a spoken aloud, inviting the audience to think, contemplate – but the audience not given sufficient time to absorb them. Ghost Dog is also adept at weapons but uses his guns to shoot.

He is loyal to the gangster Louis, who rescued him from a beating in the street when he was young. He communicates with Louis by carrier pigeon. When he mis-calculates at the scene of a hit, the gangsters want to eliminate him. The gangsters are led by very solemn Henry Silver and a very care-less Cliff Gorman. John Tormey plays Louis effectively.

The film consists of the gangsters search for Ghost Dog, some inept hitmen, indiscriminate in their shooting. But, Ghost Dog eliminates most of the gangsters, having a meeting with Louis, wounding him so that he has a cover with the bosses, but, finally a kind of high noon showdown in the park.

There is a gentle subplot with Ghost Dog going to Park, meeting a little girl, having a conversation with them about friends, lending her books. Is also very friendly with the ice cream vendor in the park, Isaach de Bankole.

Suddenly, very different kind of plot, inviting the audience to take seriously the story of the samurai hitman.

1. The films of Jim Jarmusch? Subjects, style?
2. The New Jersey settings, apartment blocks, pigeons on the roof, the gangster meetings, mansions, parks? Atmosphere? The musical score?
3. The title? The symbolic name for the Samurai hitman? The importance of the traditions of the Samurai, Japan, hitmen, loyalties? The continued quotes throughout the film – explaining Ghost Dog? Philosophy of life? On-screen briefly and rapidly, how much comprehension by the audience?
4. The portrait of Ghost Dog, the flashback and his being bullied in the street, Louis rescuing him, shooting the assailants? The scene recurring at the end of the film? The young man growing up, loyalty to Louis, philosophy of life, isolated, African-American background, has style, black clothes? His skills with weapons? The communication by carrier pigeon? His mission, killing the gangster, not seeing the girl, leaving her alive? The consequences?
5. The gangster Chiefs, their personalities, their meetings and discussions, holding Louis to account, his excusing himself? Ray Vargo, in charge, well-dressed, sinister, his later looking at the cartoons (and the director including so many violent cartoons, guns, biggie guns in the world exploding?)? Sonny, violent, thinking himself smart? The various underlings? The inept assassins, going to the rooms, shooting the man with the pigeons?
6. Louis, the meeting with Ghost Dog, the discussion about the situation?
7. The destruction of the pigeons, the effect on Ghost Dog? His wandering the city? His friendship with the ice cream vendor, French language, ice creams? The little girl, conversation, asking Ghost Dog about friends, the ice cream and his friend? The discussion of books, reading Rashomon? His giving her the book of Samurai sayings? His return them, the confrontation with Louis, the dangers, emptying the guns, Louis and the conversation, the past loyalties, the retainer? Ghost Dog understanding Louis must avenge his master’s death? The shooting, the girl the gun, empty?
8. Ghost Dog, stealing cars, changing numberplates, driving to the mansion, the wholesale shootings?
9. Louis, taking the girl, the wounded gangster, held up by the tough policewoman, the gangster shooting her?
10. The combination of the hitman gangster story with the philosophy and ideology of the Samurai?