A hit man for the mob lives his life based on the ways of the samurai who finds himself targeted by his own employer. Now he has to balance honor with trying to stay alive.
I spotted Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai on a thrift store DVD shelf ages ago and was immediately sold as soon as I spotted Forest Whitaker with a samurai credence displayed over him on the cover art. It came home with me, got placed on my ever-growing movie wall, and then sat untouched for years. Recently, I did what I do when I need something fresh, and I looked at the wall to try and spot something I’ve been meaning to get to, and Ghost Dog called out to me. After watching it, I can tell you this… This isn’t what you’re expecting, if you’re expecting anything at all. It’s better.
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is the story of the titular character. He works as a hit man exclusively for a man named Louie, the mobster who had once saved him from a vicious attack in the streets. He lives his life based on the writings within the Hagakure. This is the real world text that makes up the warrior code of the samurai. He interprets the text and adheres to the code as a strict way of life. He spends most of his time reading, or taking care of the pigeons on his rooftop that he uses to send messages between him and Louie. While Forest Whitaker has moments where he’s an absolute bad-ass, at his core… Ghost Dog is a calm, centered, and honorable man who enjoys ice-cream in the park but also seems to receive the passive respect of local gangs. Complex within his simplicity.
Unfortunately for Ghost Dog, Louie isn’t as well balanced or honorable. Louie sends him on a hit to eliminate a problematic mobster but gives him inaccurate information. A girl witnesses the hit, and Ghost Dog leaves her alive. Fearing that the girl will eventually link the hit back to them, they tell Louie that Ghost Dog has to die. Now they’re both under the gun of the same criminal organization, but with different ideas about how to get out of it. While Ghost Dog is willing to protect a friend, his former savior is a bit too quick to accept the command. Now both of them are at odds and with death knocking on their door. This might make you expect a pulse pounding thriller, but what you get is a beautifully paced story that gives you action, drama, and even comedy, in equal measure. Perfectly balanced in a film that defies traditional genres.
The movie is brought to us by writer, and director, Jim Jarmusch, who’s library of films often leave audiences divided, if only due to circumventing expectations. A prime example would be Dead Man, a 1995 film starring Johnny Depp that looks like an art house western at a glance. This film was recently reviewed here at Cinema-Crazed by Bob Foster and is worth checking out if you’re looking for something unique. His critics claim that the film is an homage to Le Samourai (The Samurai), which was a 1967 neo-noir crime thriller out of France. The parallels are undeniable. Both feature a hit man with a code of honor that takes care of a bird, gets targeted after a girl witnesses their hit, and then faces an undeniably similar journey. If Jim Jarmusch wanted to make Le Samourai for American audiences entering a new millennium, then that’s exactly what he did.
Ghost Dog’s music was composed by the one, and only, RZA, the Wu-Tang Clan front man. He must have enjoyed his time working with Jim Jarmusch, as he returned to work with him again for 2003’s Coffee and Cigarettes. RZA found the perfect sound to capture the emotion within every scene. Whether it’s accompanying something tragic, an act of vengeance, or a humorously off-color conversation… RZA doesn’t miss like some composers who fail to rise to the challenge. Most recently, RZA worked with Jarmusch for 2019’s zombie comedy, The Dead Don’t Die, in which he played a character named Dean.
When you start Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai you’ll enter a world of crime noir, wrapped in Eastern ideology, with a dash of hip-hop and the occasional kill, that’ll make you think as much as it makes you root for the downfall of the bad guys. An educated viewer will recognize another book, Rashōmon, which is occasionally passed between characters. Where Ghost Dog’s Hagakure is about how to live, Rashōmon is about a man in a fallen Kyoto with a choice to make… Become a criminal to survive, or allow himself to die with honor. Such details elevated the film from being more than a revenge thriller. While you can expect violence, what you get is a story about identity, delivering true justice, and doing all anyone can to ensure the safety of the innocents we care about.
With solid acting, believable effects, well balanced themes, a solid soundtrack, and a timeless story, Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai is a tragically underappreciated gem. I regret taking so long to finally watch it. I’ll be looking at the rest of Jim Jarmusch’s film catalog because of it. Anyone interested in seeing the film can find it on HBO MAX where it’s currently streaming.