Ghost Dog: Way Of the Samurai
August 17th 2008 22:59
A film by Jim Jarmusch
‘Ghost Dog: Way Of The Samurai’ was director Jim Jarmusch’s 1999 movie that he made following the poetry and companion piece that was ‘Dead Man’. Like ‘Dead Man’, ‘Ghost Dog’ also has the same feeling of a lost world that seems to be trying to reflect and revel in its madness at the same time. Jarmusch appears to be a director utterly confused by the strangeness that he sees around him which can sometimes result in scene after scene that appear to lack focus in a traditional sense unless we embrace their child like wonder.
‘Ghost Dog: Way Of The Samurai’ is post modern, off the wall tale of a gun for hire played by Oscar winner Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) who has taken on a Zen-like approach to cold blooded whacking in the form of a samurai code, which are read to us in book marked quotes through out the film. Not quite as insane and off the wall as say; Chanwook Park’s ‘Sympathy For Lady Vengance’, it is off the wall none the less (that’s a good thing). It’s not Whitakers most brilliant performance but he no doubt gets the job done. Initially there was something that irked me about this film but then I realised that you have to wait until the very last frame of it to dig up its main treasure.
Forest Whitaker in Ghost Dog Way Of The Samurai
‘Ghost Dog’ seems to have a few faults which immediately after becoming aware of them you forget them – wait – not just forget them but witness them transcending into a spiritual quality and setting that many of his films take place in (in the case of ‘Dead Man’ and ‘Broken Flowers’ I would adjust that to spiritual crisis). ‘Ghost Dog’ can also at times feel too long for what its doing and may have some amusing pay offs along the way that seem to merely be retreads of his previous film ‘Dead Man’, but like I said these flaws are still transcended – I mean it – soon they start to not even matter, one thing they don’t do is affect the story. ‘Ghost Dog’ requires patience. There is an enlightenment and worldly insight that await you at the end of this trip, if you chose to stick with it and invest in it. It possibly has more clarity to it than ‘Dead Man’ in presenting a view of innocence trying to maintain its footing on a crumbling ground. If you lack the patience to receive wisdom, never fear because one thing ‘Ghost Dog’ has in spades is charm, with a capital C. Ghost Dog packs so much wit and playfulness that its very hard to NOT like it. Ghost Dog is knee deep in satire as Jarmusch seems to be ticking off his list of worldly wonders that seem to baffle him i.e. cartoon violence, traffic cops on power trips, gangsters - and it’s a damn fun ride at times, causing its fair share of audience giggle.
Old school hip hop loving mafiosos
Jarmusch’s films have a child like presence to them which become part of their own dramaturgy (there’s a big word I never thought I would use!). The very same wackiness which inhabit his films become at odds with the looming clouds of desperation and shattered perceptions which he explores. See ‘Ghost Dog’ if you liked ‘Dead Man’.
The world isnt what it appears to be in Ghost Dog
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Ghost Dog also originally left me with an unusual feeling of dissatisfaction after my first viewing, it seems to have an underdeveloped feel to it at first, I sort of adress this in my review, watch Le Samourai, it might put things into perspective more