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Ghost Dog - The Way Of The Samurai [DVD] [2000]
 
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Ghost Dog - The Way Of The Samurai [DVD] [2000]

DVD ~ Forest Whitaker
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Ghost Dog - The Way Of The Samurai [DVD] [2000]
87% buy the item featured on this page:
Ghost Dog - The Way Of The Samurai [DVD] [2000] 4.1 out of 5 stars (50)
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Product details

  • Actors: Forest Whitaker, Henry Silva, John Tormey, Cliff Gorman, Dennis Liu
  • Directors: Jim Jarmusch
  • Writers: Jim Jarmusch
  • Producers: Jim Jarmusch, Diana Schmidt, Richard Guay
  • Format: Anamorphic, PAL
  • Language English
  • Subtitles: English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: 15
  • Studio: Cinema Club
  • DVD Release Date: 12 Jun 2002
  • Run Time: 111 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00004ZBVW
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 19,113 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

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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

Special Features

16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
DVD 9
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Dolby Digital 5.1
Theatrical Trailer
Out Takes
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Customer Reviews

50 Reviews
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 (32)
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 (8)
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 (1)
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 (2)
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 (7)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (50 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Modern Classic, 27 Dec 2007
By T. S. Waddington "Chimp" (Northampton) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
It seems that in modern times Hollywood has drastically dropped in its standard of output as more and more sequels and remakes are being churned out. However this is not to say that there isn't any creative talent in America. Over the last few decades some of the most exciting talents have come through the independent film making system. If like me you are a fan of independent American cinema then you will no doubt be aware of Jim Jarmusch. He, unlike many directors who begin on this route, has remained away from hollywood throughout his career thus far. Ghost dog is a largely unknown film yet remains one of Jarmusch's biggest commercial successes. If you have seen his others films then you know what to expect, to a certain extent. It is typically laconic and slow paced with much focus on the seemingly insignificant moments of the day. Forest Whitaker is brilliant as the mysterious protagonist and shows the talent that would lead him to achieving his best actor oscar for his performance in The Last King of Scotland. As a huge fan of Wu Tang Clan, Ghost Dog particularly resonates with me because of obvious connections (none more obvious than RZA's role on the soundtrack).This link is also prominent with the whole samaurai theme of the film. Not eveyone will get it as I can see from some of the other reviews. If you are expecting an action packed kung fu frenzy then you will be very disappointed. The "action" is minimal and is poetically handled by Jarmusch. For me this is a very rewarding film that can be seen on many levels and is definitely worth repeat viewings.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars JIM JARMUSCH DOES IT AGAIN !!, 14 Jan 2005
By F. Sweet (Midwestern USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
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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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Poetic Violence for Connoiseurs, 4 Feb 2009
By Ms. Ijahkjay Hart "Poet of the Prince" (London UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Ghost Dog - The Way Of The Samurai [DVD] [1999] (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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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars 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 9 months ago by LH Barklie

4.0 out of 5 stars Simply a good film
Ghost Dog is a simple but effective piece of film making. It follows 'Ghost Dog' (Forest Whitaker), a ninja style assassin through his ordeal with the mafia after a hit gone... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Don Dollock

2.0 out of 5 stars Self-indulgent and muddled
I feel I should stress first of all, unlike some other reviewers on these pages, that I can differentiate a good film from a film with lots of action; some of my favourite films... Read more
Published 16 months ago by vnllaS0ulMan

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning offbeat hitman movie
This is a real gem - a cool, Eastern influenced assassin movie. It has a great performance from Forest Whitaker and some stunning action, as well as a heart and soul that place it... Read more
Published 17 months ago by The Long Thin Man

5.0 out of 5 stars A MISSED HIT!
This brilliantly-made Arthouse drama by directing legend Jim Jarmusch surely deserves the highest credit. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Lou Almighty

5.0 out of 5 stars Overlooked and neglected
I saw this film about 6 years ago and I am still surprised how many people haven't even heard of it. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Mr. D. C. Hayes

4.0 out of 5 stars Criminally underrated
Ghost Dog is a samurai "Leon".. A subtle, brooding piece which trancends all the mid-nineties kung fu renaissance hype. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Calixto76

1.0 out of 5 stars A Dog is still a dog
First the good news: I liked the 'moose' scene, as the three mobsters discussed Ghost Dog's fate, and one or two other disconnected elements such as the ice cream man and the... Read more
Published on 4 July 2007 by Richard Bowden

4.0 out of 5 stars A meaningfull film
This film in my eyes is well worth the rating of four stars. At no point in this film did i lose interest in the slightest, I was kept enthralled by the story line untill the very... Read more
Published on 14 Mar 2007 by nicole rob

5.0 out of 5 stars an all time fave
its 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... Read more
Published on 11 Mar 2007 by C. Allen

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