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Ghost Dog [DVD]
 
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Ghost Dog [DVD]

Rated: Suitable for 15 years and over | Format: DVD
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
Price: £3.97 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Frequently Bought Together

Ghost Dog [DVD] + Jim Jarmusch Volume One Box Set [DVD] + Jim Jarmusch Volume Two Box Set [DVD]
Price For All Three: £28.41

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Product details

  • Format: PAL
  • Language English
  • Subtitles: English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: 15
  • Studio: Channel 4
  • DVD Release Date: 12 May 2008
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B0015N2YO6
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 8,591 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)

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Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

Forest Whitaker makes an unlikely modern samurai with his laser-sighted pistols, shabby street clothes, and oddly graceful gait--but then Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is an unusual film. Quirky, contemplative and at times absurd, it is just the kind of offbeat vision we have come to expect from the fiercely independent Jim Jarmusch (Stranger than Paradise, Dead Man). Whitaker is Ghost Dog, a mysterious New York hit man who lives simply on a tenement rooftop and follows a code of behaviour outlined in : Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai (passages of this book are interspersed throughout the film). When the local mob marks him for death in a complicated code of Mafiosi-style honour, Ghost Dog sends a cryptic message to his foes. "That's poetry. The poetry of war", remarks mobster Henry Silva, with sudden respect upon reading the verse. He could be describing the ethereal beauty of Jarmusch's vision, full of wonderful imagery (a night drive across town seems to float in time) and off-centre humour. Though it briefly stalls in a series of assassinations (Jarmusch is no action director), it settles back into character-driven drama in a quietly epic showdown, equal parts samurai adventure, spaghetti western and existential crime movie. The film is likely too unconventional and offbeat for general audiences, but cult-movie buffs and Jarmusch fans will appreciate his idiosyncratic vision. He finds a strange sense of honour in the clash of Old World traditions, and salutes his heroes with a skewed but sincere respect. --Sean Axmaker

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
If you didn't like Jim Jarmusch's NIGHT ON EARTH (Winona Ryder), STRANGER THAN PARADISE or DOWN BY LAW you'll definitely not like GHOST DOG. Like Tom Waitts' gravely voice that should have made him a failure rather than a succes as performer and song writer (often writing for Jarmusch's films) this movie is logical in a progression of Jarmusch's films.

Beginning with casting Forest Whitaker as the inner city Samurai, , who doesn't exactly sport a Bruce Lee physique, OBVIOUSLY this movie was never meant to be taken literally! In fact, Jarmusch may be the ONLY director who dares, and can pull off, a film that mixes hip-hop street culture with Mafioso wise guys, sprinkle it with quotes from The Book of the Samurai by Hagakure and not just "get away with it" but make it all work!

If you like Jim Jarmusch films then you'll love GHOST DOG. If you've never seen one of his flicks then go easy on yourself ... and take a peek at his 1991 film, NIGHT ON EARTH. If nothing else, you'll have a chance to see Winona Ryder in a wonderful acting role before she became, err, Winona Ryder. And let's not forget the other greats such as Gena Rowlands, Béatrice Dalle, Armin Mueller-Stahl, and that terrific MOUTH (and body) Rosie Perez who made NIGHT ON EARTH what it is. How can you resist?

In GHOST DOG, Whittaker is a gentle pigeon raising philosopher who is repected and feared in his 'hood. By night, he does "special" hits for the Mafia because as any good Samurai, he is loyal to one of the aging lieutenants who saved his life when Whittaker was a youth. The man he does contracts for is more like a character out of the ANALYZE THIS! than from the GODFATHER The wise guys in GHOST DOG are a bunch of ignorant bumblers (one of them played by Victor Argo, a great character actor) who can occasionally become very dangerous. Mixed in with this stew is a little black girl who Whittaker befiends because the two of them share a love of books.

Whittaker character's best friend is an ice cream vendor who doesn't speak a word of English, having just recently arrived from Ivory Coast in Africa. Some of the best dialogue is between these two who are so intuitively tuned to one another that although their words don't ever match up in their bilingual "conversations" they can exactly guess what the other one means.

Anyhow, this end-of-the-millennium film spiritually spans centuries while its post modern style was just born yesterday. See it!

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is my number one film of all time. The poetry of dignified violence is expressed in the subtle and transforming landscape of the reality of old school gangster philosophy, prejudice and disregard for life. Forest Whittaker gives a storming performance and the discreet Wu Tang presence simply amplifies this films status as totally and utterly COOL. Very Buddhist in vibe but don't let that put you off. With no sex scenes and only relevent swearing this film is everything all films should be. Well shot, well directed, equisitely acted throughout, (watch out for the ice cream man and the little girl) and creatively thought through. A must.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
an all time fave 11 Mar 2007
Format:DVD
It's tough to recommend a film but I have no trouble introducing this masterpiece to any one, it has exquisite comic moments, cult quirkiness, tasteful evocations of the underworld - not just blood and guts - and is constantly mysterious with its Samurai threads. I love this film , it really is a classic and cult in that it is undefinable and to top it all it has a lush urban soundtrack, it's the business, Ghost Dog is ace, one of my all time faves. Passenger Pigeon!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
One of Jarmush's best
You never know what a Jum Jarmush film will be like - since the crazy years of Daunbailò with Roberto Benigni, every film cen be totally new,always unusual, though not... Read more
Published 1 month ago by The bookloving Norman
Oddly entertaining
Ghost Dog the story of an unusual assassin named Ghost Dog (played by the appropriately-inappropriate Forrest Whitaker) who lives and works by the code of the Samurai. Read more
Published 3 months ago by beovar
Get to the end and think "what was that all about?"
I can't work out if this movie is meant to be funny or serious or just a little bit demented. You have a martial arts expert who doesn't know how to draw his sword properly and... Read more
Published 4 months ago by my2pence
Ghost Dog: Samourai, Pigeons and Contract Killers
A contract killer who abides by the Japanese ancient Samurai code, who breeds pigeons on his roof top (they also carry his bosses instructions),
who having once been saved by... Read more
Published 9 months ago by M. R. Sathiah
Not seen Ghost Dog?
A must for Jarmusch fans. Italian gangland meets Samurai philosophy, this story has some great acting and a wonderful story. One of his best, along with Dead Man.
Published 10 months ago by truvu
Two ancient tribes
This film is fantastic, absolutely one of my favourites. The whole idea of a ghetto hit-man living by the code of ther samurai is so silly that it is inspired. Read more
Published 19 months ago by PP2
The long waiting came to an end
I was looking for a real time for this movie on DVD that is suitable for Europe DVD region. Afther I've placed my order the product arrived shortly and in perfect shape!!! Read more
Published 21 months ago by Robert Mihai Lukacs
Ghost Dog
After a slow and uneventful start `Ghost Dog' soon settles into it's own rhythm and whilst you are never completely compelled by the story on offer, it does keep you interested for... Read more
Published on 24 April 2010 by Spider Monkey
Bittersweet mafia morality tale
While watching this film I kept being reminded of Luc Besson's 'Leon'. Although very different both films have a similar vein of spirituality running through them. Read more
Published on 10 April 2010 by cockneywideboy
It's a Fine Film
I read through the 6 or 7 reviews that gave the film 1 star. All of which had the arrogance to consider themselves knownledgable of Samurai cinema and decided that this film was... Read more
Published on 22 April 2009 by LH Barklie
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