Ghost Dog - The Way of the Samurai (1999)

82% of critics liked it
(92 reviews)
82% of users liked it
(44,640 ratings)

A surreal crime drama told as only Jim Jarmusch could, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai stars Forest Whitaker as Ghost Dog, a hit man living in an unidentified but run-down city in what license plates call "The Industrialized State." Known for his gift of being able to come and go without people… More A surreal crime drama told as only Jim Jarmusch could, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai stars Forest Whitaker as Ghost Dog, a hit man living in an unidentified but run-down city in what license plates call "The Industrialized State." Known for his gift of being able to come and go without people noticing him, Ghost Dog is a self-taught samurai who is obsessed with order and his strict personal moral code, drawn from the philosophies of the Japanese warriors. As every samurai needs a leader to whom he swears loyalty, Ghost Dog has devoted himself the service of Louie (John Tormey), a low-level crime boss who once saved his life. When Louie's superiors decide he must be executed, Ghost Dog leaps into action, methodically wiping out his many enemies. Along with a dizzying series of stylized shoot-outs, Ghost Dog also features carrier pigeons, characters who read Rashomon, a French-speaking ice cream man, and a score by RZA from the top-selling hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, who have their own well-documented obsession with Asian culture. Ghost Dog was screened in competition at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 56 min.
Directed By: Jim Jarmusch
Written By: Jim Jarmusch
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Comedy

In Theaters: Mar 3, 2000 Wide
On DVD: Aug 22, 2000
Studio: Artisan Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
A handsomely shot, cool-sounding head-scratcher of a film that probably isn't worth the wear on the fingernails.
Ty Burr, Entertainment Weekly
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai brings the minimalist director who found fame with 1984's Stranger Than Paradise back to the land of the living.
Steve Murray, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
compellingly strange twist on the mafia genre
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine
By turns irritating and inviting; Jarmusch's allusive metaphysics has a sensual glide, but much of what he's doing here is also too, too hip.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Jarmusch has introduced historical references ... that have opened up his imagination and extended his thematic and affective range well beyond that of his first five features.
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
Ghost Dog is... a delight for those who know his work, maybe a mystery for those who don't.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Jarmusch's original film, which deconstructs the mobster genre as seen through the eyes of a Samurai, is by turn eccentric, mysterious, and mythical, defying viewers expectations
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
One of the coolest movies to come down the pike in years.
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
At once a tribute to traditional notions of honour, loyalty, friendship and professionalism, and a stylish, ironic pastiche inspired by the likes of Melville and Suzuki, it's very funny, insightful, and highly original.
Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews
Jarmusch blends these disparate themes into a cohesive film that combines humor and truly unique characters with Eastern philosophy, mobster flick and shoot-'em-up western.
Michael E. Grost, Classic Film and Television
Visually creative film with a remarkable use of color and music.
Eugene Novikov, Film Blather
I can scarcely think of ways to improve this engrossing, original, near-brilliant production.
Jim Shelby, Palo Alto Weekly
Ghost Dog himself is so remote and focused on his path, it's hard to drum up a lot of identification or sympathy.
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks
An act of pure, unadulterated creativity that boasts its narrative gambles and poetic whimsy as badges of honor... One of the most improbably gorgeous films of the year.
Chris Gore, Film Threat
Jarmusch and Whitaker are masters at work proving once again that you don't need a huge budget to tell a meaningful story.
Xan Brooks, Sight and Sound
This is a picture by turns amusing and melancholic, sweet-centred and dark-edged.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...I was lulled by the relaxed storytelling.
Margaret A. McGurk, Cincinnati Enquirer
It reminded me how vibrantly original an honest-to-God independent film can be.
Ed Scheid, Boxoffice Magazine
The solitary Ghost Dog remains too remote a figure to sustain much interest, and certain elements of the film do not fit well together.
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...will not satisfy every viewer looking for violence and high-tension excitement, but it is a sometimes touching, sometimes funny, and endlessly fascinating film.

Read all 20 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

xGary X

A solitary, bird loving hitman is targeted by his own employer but his code of honour prevents him from direct retaliation. Ghost Dog is probably Jim Jarmusch's most accessible film but is still a quirky and off beat affair that feels all the world like a Hip Hop version of a… More
A solitary, bird loving hitman is targeted by his own employer but his code of honour prevents him from direct retaliation. Ghost Dog is probably Jim Jarmusch's most accessible film but is still a quirky and off beat affair that feels all the world like a Hip Hop version of a Takeshi Kitano gangster film. Forest Whitaker cuts an imposing figure who is like a modern day pigeon fancying Yojimbo who has chosen to live by the Samurai code in modern day America. It's a very low key film that combines amusingly oddball characters (especially the inept, bigoted and hypocritical "stupid f***ing white men" who clearly don't deserve his loyalty), black humour and understated violence to great effect. Add a soundtrack by the RZA that perfectly compliments the mood of the film and you have a rather unique gangster film that plays out a bit like Leon on valium. Which is a good thing.
Graham J

Jarmusch's samurai/gangster featuring a soundtrack from The Rza. Though not on the same level as his other films, it is still a worthwhile watch.
Joel K

Top Class. This film is amazingly uneventful, but still completely brilliant. Its a slow burner, but theres enough going to keep you watching. A perfect mix of the Samurai and Gangster genres, with a good gangster rap soundtrack to give it a unique atmosphere. The action seens… More
Top Class. This film is amazingly uneventful, but still completely brilliant. Its a slow burner, but theres enough going to keep you watching. A perfect mix of the Samurai and Gangster genres, with a good gangster rap soundtrack to give it a unique atmosphere. The action seens aren't fast paced heart racers, but quiet slow movers, showing the main characters stealth technique. Not for everyone, but i liked it.
moon r

Jarmusch's compelling though curious urban poem, waist deep in a melange of the transplanted cultures of the United States, about honor, morality and purpose in the changing flux that is modern life. Instead of the white hat/black hat, good guy/ bad guy recognition motif,… More
Jarmusch's compelling though curious urban poem, waist deep in a melange of the transplanted cultures of the United States, about honor, morality and purpose in the changing flux that is modern life. Instead of the white hat/black hat, good guy/ bad guy recognition motif, f'instance, Jarmusch updates with a "reads literature" versus a "watches cartoons" differentiation. Fun as well as surreal.
Keiko A

Forest Whitaker as a modern day samurai? Well its a great homepage to many crime films of the 60s and somewhat 70s as well as unique blending of a crime thriller and a samurai movie. Interesting, weird themes and cinematics and engaging characters. Still i will watch it again very… More
Forest Whitaker as a modern day samurai? Well its a great homepage to many crime films of the 60s and somewhat 70s as well as unique blending of a crime thriller and a samurai movie. Interesting, weird themes and cinematics and engaging characters. Still i will watch it again very soon the movie is worth watching at most.
Tsubaki S

A black hitman who thinks he's a samurai? Old italian mobsters who listen to rap music? None of this should work, and yet it does.
Stella D

my favorite jarmusch by a long shot. gangsters and samurai: too fucking cool
Michael G

I want to beat the living crap out of myself for not seeing this movie seven years earlier. This is one of the most amazing movies I've ever seen. The soundtrack is as awesome as the story. Ghost Dog is the fucking man!!!! He's like Terry Malloy, Leon and Kurosawa samurai… More
I want to beat the living crap out of myself for not seeing this movie seven years earlier. This is one of the most amazing movies I've ever seen. The soundtrack is as awesome as the story. Ghost Dog is the fucking man!!!! He's like Terry Malloy, Leon and Kurosawa samurai all rolled into one. The exchanges between Ghost Dog and his best friend were hilarious as was the idiotic yet not completely inaccurate representation of the mob ("stupid fucking white men.") The scene with Ghost Dog and the hunters was phenomenal! My only gripes were the incredibly devoid explanation as to why The Mob was after Ghost Dog in the first place and the end, despite the fact I knew it had to go down that way. The second viewing didn't freak me out the way the first one did but still a solid movie. Highly recommended...
Anthony L

Ghost Dog oozes cool, Jarmusch balances action, drama and comedy, perfectly. This is also one of Whitaker's best performances.
Daniel J D

Forest Whitaker proves that he can be quite the badass (not that he wasn't a badass already). RZA's soundtrack and cameo were pretty cool, too. As were the French ice cream salesman and his interactions with Forest Whitaker (Ghost Dog).
Mike S

Played out like a dull episode of the Sopranos, only more in the style of an average indie flick. It still had its qualities though that made it worth the watch. By that I'm mainly refering to Forest Whitaker, who carried the movie quite well on his shoulders. His character,… More
Played out like a dull episode of the Sopranos, only more in the style of an average indie flick. It still had its qualities though that made it worth the watch. By that I'm mainly refering to Forest Whitaker, who carried the movie quite well on his shoulders. His character, altough perhaps not entirely believable, was both fascinating and complex, as in being a suburb samurai with as much philosophy to share as he has skills with a gun. It surely wouldn't have hurt to throw in a better soundtrack though, because if there's one thing I really disliked about this movie it was the lifeless and often sleep-inducing music. The editing could have used a little brush-up as well, as it came off as a bit amateurish and sloppy at times. Thankfully, however, these are only minor flaws in an otherwise decent film. Just be warned that it's very slow-paced.
Aaron N

Ghost Dog: According to what one of the elders said, taking an enemy on the battlefield is like a hawk taking a bird. Even though it enters into the midst of a thousand of them, it gives no attention to any bird than the one it first marked. An insightful story and one of my… More
Ghost Dog: According to what one of the elders said, taking an enemy on the battlefield is like a hawk taking a bird. Even though it enters into the midst of a thousand of them, it gives no attention to any bird than the one it first marked. An insightful story and one of my favorite movies, about a man who reads about and lives his life by the code of the samurai. He also happens to be a retainer for a member of an aging New Jersey organized crime syndicate and serves as a hit man, until something goes wrong. Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is found in death. Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily. Every day, when one's body and mind are at peace, one should meditate upon being ripped apart by arrows, rifles, spears, and swords, being carried away by surging waves, being thrown into the midst of a great fire, being struck by lightning, being shaken to death by a great earthquake, falling from thousand-foot cliffs, dying of disease or committing seppuku at the death of one's master. And every day, without fail, one should consider himself as dead. This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai. The character of Ghost Dog is very intriguing. In a normal world, this man is essentially a crazy person. He lives on the roof of a building, he practices the code of the samurai, and hangs around with pigeons. However, with this movie, the character is treated with grace and cool. He moves like a ghost, being noticed when he wants to be. Acts in violence only when the situation requires it. And is respected by most in various ways. Samurai in Camouflage: Ghost Dog, power, equality. Ghost Dog: Always see everything, my brother. His only friend is a Haitian man who speaks French, neither person understands each other, but they still can relate to each other in their own way. During the film, Ghost Dog also befriends a little girl, wonderfully played by newbie at the time Camille Winbush, who shares a passion for reading. Louie: Nothing seems to make sense anymore. As the story goes on, Ghost Dog is conflicted from having to face the mob, who wants to have him killed, despite having remained a mysterious helper for them, and trying not to disappoint the relationship with Louie, the one he sees as his master. Vinny: You know, Louie, there's one good thing about this Ghost Dog guy. Louie: What's that, Vin? Vinny: He's sending us out the old way. Like real fucking gangsters. A very good character-crime-drama mixed with some action, humor, a great performance from Whitaker, and a great soundtrack by RZA who composed a flawless score, one of my favorites. Sonny Valerio: Now is the time to tell us everything you know about this mysterious ghostlike untraceable fuckin' button man. Being a Jim Jarmusch film, the film is slowly paced using fade out transitions, which helps in this case to reflects old samurai films and very effectively combines present times with the aspects of a samurai's life. It also shows the clash of different cultures in a number of ways: samurai and the mob, old systems and new changing of orders, and people's perception and people that wish to have a dedication to something in their lives. Sonny Valerio: "If a warrior's head were to be suddenly cut off, he should still be able to perform one more action with certainty." What the fuck does that mean? Ray Vargo: It's poetry. The poetry of war. Among the number of repeated motifs and themes of the film, two worth mentioning are the passages of samurai code narrated throughout, each reflecting the state of Ghost Dog's character and the issues taking place in the plot. Also, the fact that the members of the mafia have an affinity for cartoons (now that's quirky), and each time one is shown, it reflects elements of the plot. Ghost Dog: There is surely nothing other than the single purpose of the moment. A man's whole life is a succession of moment after moment. If one fully understands the present moment, there is nothing left to do, and nothing else to pursue. This film is such a great combination of strange characters, modernized samurai philosophy, and settings, that I can't help but enjoy all aspects of it. Wonderful film. Pearline: In the Kamigata area they have a sort of tiered lunchbox they use for a single day when flower viewing. Upon returning, they throw them away, trampling them underfoot. The end is important in all things.
Curtis L

Now that I understand it better, it's pretty good. Still, stars down for bad music and multiple slow scenes (even though slow scenes and Jim Jarmusch go together, at least in his other films we see Lance Hendrixson eating people, or Tom Waits insulting people).
David L

"Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai" is a quite unique movie. It tells the story of an African-American mafia hit-man in New York who lives by the rules of the Samurai, in simplicity and alone with his pigeons, he calls himself Ghost Dog and is always faithful to his master,… More
"Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai" is a quite unique movie. It tells the story of an African-American mafia hit-man in New York who lives by the rules of the Samurai, in simplicity and alone with his pigeons, he calls himself Ghost Dog and is always faithful to his master, a local mobster who has saved his life several years ago. When the daughter of the local mob boss witnesses one of Ghost Dog's hits, he must die himself. The first victims are his birds and in response, Ghost Dog goes right at his attackers. He is lethal, but does not want to harm his master or the young woman. And while his life is in constant danger, the only people he ever has contact with are a little girl, with whom he discusses books, and a Haitian ice cream man who only speaks French and doesn't understand a word of what Ghost Dog tells him. I guess the best way to categorize this movie is to call it a mix of the movie "Léon", the Samurai code and hip-hop culture. Normally you would think that such a mix could never work, but this time it does. I admit that it certainly isn't a normal mix, but director Jim Jarmusch avoids the traps that would make this original and daring movie a complete waste of time and which would turn it into one unbelievable and unrealistic mess. I know it sounds strange, how can a movie that combines Italian, Japanese and hip-hop culture into one ever become one solid movie? Don't ask me, I don't even know how he came up with the idea, but it works and that's all that matters. This movie has several strong points. One is the way everything is told and shown, which make this a sober, but powerful movie. Especially with the quotes that are taken from the Way of the Samurai and that are voiced by Forest Whitaker, a solid base is formed. This helps you to understand why the man does what he does, why he lives his life like that and why he will always respect his master. If this hadn't been in the movie, I would probably not have liked it a bit. The other strong point is the acting. The mobsters look a bit stereotypical, but are well portrayed by people like Cliff Gorman, John Tormey, Richard Portnow,... but the best performance definitely comes from Forest Whitaker. Normally Whitaker plays the role of a good guy, like for instance Jody in "The Crying Game" or Captain Ramey in "Phone Boot" and it has to be said, he really has some talent for that kind of roles. But, as he proves with this movie, he is capable of a lot more. He plays the role of the samurai hit man, doesn't look like he's fit for that role at all (at least, I would never think of him when it comes to that role), but does it really very well. As a conclusion I would like to add that the sound track is also great. Normally I'm not too much a fan of hip hop in the movies, although I can appreciate it as a form of music on itself, but this time it really works. Add to this some nice acting, a cool and well-written story, some funny moments (like for instance a rapping mobster) and what you'll get is a movie that is fun and interesting to watch.
EightThirty .

A very smooth movie ^_^
Ken S

See mjgildea's review. It says everything I don't need too.
Dean !

Iwas expecting a lot more from the title. Doesn't have a great deal of action and can be quite odd at times. The last 20mins of the film make up for it. If you like assassin films you will like this.
Stuart B

Good movie if a little slow in places
Jason S

An interesting flick about a street hit man who studies the way of the samurai.
Jose Z

Such an amazing movie that combines the samurai philosophy and the life inside the new york mafia. Great idea of adding samurai philosophy phrases to explain what the main character was thinking. Forrest Whitaker make and impressive and outstanding performance as a cold blodded hitman… More
Such an amazing movie that combines the samurai philosophy and the life inside the new york mafia. Great idea of adding samurai philosophy phrases to explain what the main character was thinking. Forrest Whitaker make and impressive and outstanding performance as a cold blodded hitman that follows the samurai code of honor, he is by far one of the best actors I've ever seen. Its a movie that keeps you at the edge of your seat with great action, adventure, suspense and a little bit of ironic humor