Jim Jarmusch is, in my eyes, a contemporary genius of cinema. His movies never fail to bowl me over, drawing me into stories that are both entertaining and complex. Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai is no different.
The film follows the journey of a young hit-man, Ghost Dog, brilliantly played by Forest Whitaker, who is betrayed by a dysfunctional Mafia family after a bungled hit. Although it sounds pretty generic, the film is filled with thought-provoking questions. We begin to analyse our own moral and philosophical beliefs as Ghost Dog analyses his. If this description sounds fairly pretentious, that's probably because it is. When a film is trying to be this philosophical there are going to be some rather conceited moments. That said however, these are few and far between. For the most part, the film is emotional, powerful and intelligent.
But the really great part about Ghost Dog, is the fact that it never takes a clear path. Jarmusch explores an interesting duality when dealing with his protagonist's unswerving loyalty. On the one hand, Ghost Dog's obsession with tradition leads to his own personal downfall. However, on the flip-side of the coin, it is this loyalty that sets him apart from the rest of us. Sure he suffers as a result, but in the end isn't Ghost Dog a better man than most of us?
Even the film's tag-line exemplifies this duality: live by the code, die by the code. Aren't they both as important as each other?
Now I've rambled for a bit, I implore you to go see this movie. It might change the way you think about Jim Jarmusch but it might not. Either way, see what you think. Give Ghost Dog a try.
The film follows the journey of a young hit-man, Ghost Dog, brilliantly played by Forest Whitaker, who is betrayed by a dysfunctional Mafia family after a bungled hit. Although it sounds pretty generic, the film is filled with thought-provoking questions. We begin to analyse our own moral and philosophical beliefs as Ghost Dog analyses his. If this description sounds fairly pretentious, that's probably because it is. When a film is trying to be this philosophical there are going to be some rather conceited moments. That said however, these are few and far between. For the most part, the film is emotional, powerful and intelligent.
But the really great part about Ghost Dog, is the fact that it never takes a clear path. Jarmusch explores an interesting duality when dealing with his protagonist's unswerving loyalty. On the one hand, Ghost Dog's obsession with tradition leads to his own personal downfall. However, on the flip-side of the coin, it is this loyalty that sets him apart from the rest of us. Sure he suffers as a result, but in the end isn't Ghost Dog a better man than most of us?
Even the film's tag-line exemplifies this duality: live by the code, die by the code. Aren't they both as important as each other?
Now I've rambled for a bit, I implore you to go see this movie. It might change the way you think about Jim Jarmusch but it might not. Either way, see what you think. Give Ghost Dog a try.