Movie Description
Eastern and Western cultures and philosophies intersect in this comic drama from acclaimed director Jim Jarmusch. Ghost Dog (Forest Whitaker) is a silent modern-day warrior who lives on a rooftop shack. He spends his days breeding pigeons and playing chess in the park with his best friend, Raymond (Isaach de Bankolé), a French-speaking ice-cream man. At night he goes to work as a hit man, performing his tasks stealthily and invisibly, abiding by the codes established by HAGAKURE: THE BOOK OF THE SAMURAI, an 18th-century text. One night, while on his latest hit, Ghost Dog encounters a mob boss's beautiful daughter, Louise (Tricia Vessey). Although Ghost Dog leaves her unharmed, her father nonetheless orders Ghost Dog's execution, to the dismay of Louie (John Tormey), his loyal retainer. As the mobsters struggle to locate the mysteriously untraceable Ghost Dog, he must find a way to protect himself while remaining loyal to Louie and the ancient codes that define him as an individual. Jarmusch successfully tackles a variety of genres with GHOST DOG, including mob movies and spiritual samurai films. Fusing all of this with the RZA's thumping, atmospheric score, GHOST DOG remains another lighthearted, entertaining addition to Jarmusch's impressive filmography.
| Credits | | Producer: | Richard Guay | | Cast: | Angel Caban, Clebert Ford, Damon Whitaker, Frank Minucci, Gene Ruffini, Isaach de Bankolé, Jonathan Cook, Vanessa Hollingshead, Vince Viverito, Yan Ming Shi |
| Details | | Sound: | HiFi Sound, Stereo Sound |
Notes
Theatrical release: March 3, 2000.
Jim Jarmusch wrote the role of Ghost Dog specifically for Forest Whitaker.
Gary Farmer's cameo as Nobody is a self-reflexive nod to Jarmusch's 1995 film, DEAD MAN.
The RZA was unfamiliar with Jarmusch's films before being asked to compose music for GHOST DOG.
Victor Argo, who plays Vinny, has appeared in over 60 films throughout his career, including MEAN STREETS, THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST, BAD LIEUTENANT, SMOKE, and THE FUNERAL.
Desson Howe of the Washington Post named GHOST DOG one of the 10 best films of 2000.
Editorial Reviews
"...A master-mix from a cinematic DJ at the height of his formalist powers..."
Premiere - p.24 - Glenn Kenny (03/01/2000)
"...[Jarmusch's film] has his deadpan sense of humor..."
Movieline - p.33 - Stephen Farber (02/01/2000)
"...Amusing and melancholic, sweet-centred and dark-edged..."
USA Today - p.49-50 - Xan Brooks (05/01/2000)
"...Fascinating....[Jarmusch] has composed a ruminative, bittersweet visual essay on brutality, honor and tribalism..."
New York Times - p.E1 - A. O. Scott (03/03/2000)
"...Rueful, funny, deliciously off-kilter..."
Los Angeles Times - Eric Harrison (03/17/2000)
"...Jarmusch seems to have directed with his tongue in his cheek, his hand over his heart, and his head in the clouds. The result is weirdly intriguing..."
Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (03/17/2000)
"[Whitaker's] special quality, which is soulful, almost Zenfully mournful, suffuses Jim Jarmusch's haunting film about a contemporary hit man who obeys the ancient Samurai code..."
Wall Street Journal (05/01/2009)
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