Ghost Dog - The Way Of The Samurai (DVD)

...'''The Basic Plot''' Ghost Dog (Forest Whitaker) is an assassin living in Jersey City (although, we're never told that) who holds true to Bushido, the ancient Japanese chivalric code of the Samurai, and is guided in particular by the tenets of _Hagakure_, a series of commentaries and guidelines that were outlined in the early 18th century. The Samurai is a servant or retainer who pledges his life and sword to a master, and in Ghost Dog's case his ...
...several years before (or so Ghost Dog thinks) and by so doing unwittingly earned the future assassin's loyalty. Between jobs Ghost Dog lives in a shack on the roof of a building with only some carrier pigeons and some books to keep him company. His only human friends are a Haitian ice-cream vendor and chatterbox, Raymond (Isaach de Bankolé), who can only speak French, and a precocious-but-sweet little girl, Pearline (Camille Winbush), with whom Ghost ...

Volta120 05.07.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Ghost Dog - The Way Of The Samurai (DVD)

...going to be hard, see Ghost Dog isn't an easy movie to get into, even the opening scenes left me sat wondering what I was just witness to. Now then a little about the storyline itself Ghost Dog (Forest Whittaker) is a Samurai living in New York who happens to do a little work for one of the local Gangsters 'taking out' a few people. Anyhow the Gangster hes working for isn't one of the head-honchos in the city, in fact he has his own bosses to answer ...
...one of his bosses, Ghost Dog becomes a wanted man. Thats pretty much all of the main storyline I can get away with telling, suffice to say theres a little bit more to come, now I came into this movie with a completely open mind knowing nothing of it at all, in fact the only thing that crossed my mind whilst renting it was that I could remember a couple of people I knew talking about it, after that nothing, and well to start with the titles a little ...

Angelus 02.11.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Ghost Dog - The Way Of The Samurai (DVD)

...had when I came to Ghost Dog. The story revolves around Ghost Dog (Whitaker), a modern day reclusive assassin who bases his life on the principles of the Samurai. When a mob hit goes wrong, he becomes the hunted not the hunter, and single-handedly takes on the mob. I have to say that that storyline alone had me excited (I love gangster flicks) but boy was it a let down. To begin with, absolutely every role (except from Whitaker's) is poorly acted. ...
...clearly think that giving an Italian a pair of dark glasses is enough to make it authentic; it's horrific, and there isn't one character who is believable in the whole mafia. Of course, some of the acting is deliberately poor, for the sake of a little black humour, but there is not one part of the gangster world that is authentic or realistic, which means you never quite believe the threat to Dog. Whitaker's acting is very interesting; he's extremely ...

bruffyboy 21.01.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Ghost Dog - The Way Of The Samurai (DVD)

Ghost Dog : Way of The Samurai struck me as being a really strange movie. It ended, and I sat there, and I thought "This is it? This is the ending? Did I like that?" And I honestly couldn't decide whether I liked the film or not, I was so surprised by it, dumbstruck really. Ghost Dog is an incredible assassin, who works for the mafia because one of them once saved his life when he was younger. He's a self styled samurai, who practices the arts of ...
...uncle shot, the mafia decide Ghost Dog has to be eliminated. It comes to a choice where the man who saved Ghost Dogs life, or Ghost Dog, must die, because they mafia demands blood. So Ghost Dog goes on a killing spree, and some bloody action continues. The ending is not what you would expect from this film, but I won't spoil it for you. The film is very slow moving, with a very brooding atmosphere that fits well with the quotes you are read from ...

Athravan 04.03.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Ghost Dog - The Way Of The Samurai (DVD)

Let me start by saying that I’m a big fan of Forrest Whittaker. The man has a presence on-screen that not many can match. Physically, he’s a bear of a man, but here he really gets across the feeling that all that power is completely under control. Other roles such as those in The Last King of Scotland and Forest Gump reinforce the fact that he has range and real acting ability. Jim Jarmusch is a very idiosyncratic film-maker, so, never being quite ...
...film with a completely open mind. Just as well, because it takes a lot of thinking about. I don’t mean the plot, or even the premise. I’m talking about what was going on in Jarmusch’s head when he made it. Looking at the finished article; is it what he had in mind before he started? If so, he’s a man of real vision. The movie grabbed me straight off with its haunting, dysphonic soundtrack. Jarmusch’s direction and vision for the movie carry on from ...

quelconque 02.11.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Ghost Dog - The Way Of The Samurai (DVD)

...film follows the character of Ghost Dog, a strangely serene African-American who lives by the ancient code of the Samurai, and acts as assassin for a local small time crook whom he has dubbed his ‘master’. Ghost Dog has executed many assassinations flawlessly: he is fast, effective, and untraceable. But after a hit on a member of his master’s own criminal ‘family’ goes slightly wrong, through no fault of Ghost Dog’s ...
...but since that’s exactly what Ghost Dog IS, I cannot really criticise the film on that basis. There is also an insert card, folded in half so that it resembles a booklet. The front of this booklet reproduces the front cover of the DVD, the back contains and chapter listing, and in smaller print a list of cast and crew credits for the film. Inside the booklet is a short biography of star Forest Whitaker and a filmography for writer/director ...

B.Bligh 01.07.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Ghost Dog - The Way Of The Samurai (DVD)

Ghost Dog is one of those arthouse films that tries very hard to be clever, but this one just doesn't pull it off. At first blush i was intrigued by the confident swagger of the strange main character "Ghost Dog" a Mafia hitman who lives on a rooftop with his pigeons for company and lives his life according to ancient Samurai scripture. We have all seen the gangster movie, Goodfellas, Carlito's Way, Once Upon a Time in America...and so many others! ...
...death who will prevail: Ghost Dog committed to ancient ways in a twentienth-century world, or the Mafia out to neutralise him after one of his "hits" takes an unexpected twist? Ghost Dog is a flawed character. Capable of thoughtulness and intellect, compassion and loyalty, yet an accomplished and cold-blooded killer. The movie has a slow slightly eerie pace often through murky evening cityscapes or threatening daytime slums. Ghost Dog has few friends ...

shyscotsgeek25 04.03.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Ghost Dog - The Way Of The Samurai (DVD)

...'Leon'. Forest Whitaker plays Ghost Dog, a black loner who lives in a homemade shack on top of a building and whose only companionship is in from the pigeons to which he feeds and cares for, an ice-cream vendor who only speaks French (and of whom he has never understood a single word) and a small girl who shares his passion for reading books. He is an assassin who follows the strict honour code of the Samurai (medieval warriors from ancient Japan) ...
...those he is hired by Ghost Dog finds that there is only once course of action to which he can take. The film is interspaced with visual and voice-over quotes from the Hagakure reflecting the mood or nature of the particular scenes about to unfold. Quirky and offbeat in nature this offering from director Jim Jarmusch is never going to ever achieve widespread appeal but if you are a fan of the other two hit men-related movies I mentioned above you ...

grahamgibson 09.02.2001 (05.02.2001) · Read full review
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Review of Ghost Dog - The Way Of The Samurai (DVD)

...than you would expect. Ghost Dog lives above the world, alongside a flock of birds, in a homemade shack on the roof of an abandoned building. Guided by the words of an ancient Samurai text, Ghost Dog is a professional killer able to dissolve into the night and move throughout the city unnoticed. When Ghost Dog's code is dangerously betrayed by the dysfunctional mafia family that occasionally employs him, he must find a way to defend himself without ...
...assassins live above the law: only one follows the code... Special Features: *Out-takes *Trailer *Interactive menu *Scene access not much special features, and the story does become abit slow in some parts of the film. Good action by Forest Whitaker, even though he is a big bulky guy. Technical Details: Actors * Forest Whitaker ; John Tormey ; Henry Silva ; Isaach De Bankole ; Cliff Gorman ; Victor Argo ; Tricia Vessey ; Gene Ruffini ; ...

azim795 09.01.2003 · Read full review
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Review of Ghost Dog - The Way Of The Samurai (DVD)

Ghost Dog Way of the Samurai is a tale of the life of a hitman. But there's a twist, well a couple actually. First off the hitman is Forest Whitaker, which is unexpected, but secondly, he's a strong follow of Hagakure. The way of the samurai. You can actually find the book behind the story at amazon and other leading retailers and i would recommend it too, its a very good read. Full of deep philosophical sayings and teachings (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/4770026129/ref=olp_product_d ...
...order to hunt and kill Ghost Dog, despite all the good work he has done for him. Its a dark, clever and quite moving film. With friendships and inspiring extracts from the book. The soundtrack is mixed by The RZA, part of the infamous Wu Tang Clan, who is very musically accomplished and respected and the combination works well. Despite the budget not being overly huge, the film itself does not feel cheap. The storyline is solid as it the plot and ...

AgeUK 26.09.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Ghost Dog - The Way Of The Samurai (DVD)

Ghost Dog ( Way of the Samurai ) stars Forrest Whitaker. The story, such as it is, is a contract killer called Ghost Dog” ( Whitaker ) who follows ancient samurai beliefs. After a hit that goes slightly wrong, the mob decide to wipe out all evidence. Ghost Dog then turns the tables killing all before him before deciding to effectively commit suicide on the final hit. This could have been such a stylish psychological thriller but in the end ...
...French but doesn’t speak English, Ghost Dog doesn’t speak French so throughout the film the somehow know what they are saying to each other and repeating each others lines in French then English. The reason he became a hit man – he was saved from a beating by the mob. An of course he has his “thing” the little movie quirk that makes him unique. He lives on the roof a building in a pigeon loft. The actors just seem to ...

ultras67 26.03.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Ghost Dog - The Way Of The Samurai (DVD)