Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
Directed by Jim Jarmusch • 1999 • United States
Starring Forest Whitaker, John Tormey, Cliff Gorman
Jim Jarmusch combined his love for the ice-cool crime dramas of Jean-Pierre Melville and Seijun Suzuki with the philosophical dimensions of samurai mythology for an eccentrically postmodern take on the hit-man thriller. In one of his defining roles, Forest Whitaker brings a commanding serenity to his portrayal of a Zen contract killer working for a bumbling mob outfit, a modern man who adheres steadfastly to the ideals of the Japanese warrior code even as chaos and violence spiral around him. Featuring moody cinematography by the great Robby Müller, a sublime score by the Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA, and a host of colorful character actors (including a memorably stone-faced Henry Silva), GHOST DOG: THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI plays like a pop-culture-sampling cinematic mixtape built around a one-of-a-kind tragic hero.
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Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
Directed by Jim Jarmusch • 1999 • United States
Starring Forest Whitaker, John Tormey, Cliff GormanJim Jarmusch combined his love for the ice-cool crime dramas of Jean-Pierre Melville and Seijun Suzuki with the philosophical dimensions of samurai mythology for an eccentrically postmodern take o...
Extras
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Q&A with Jim Jarmusch
In June 2020, the Criterion Collection invited fans to send in questions about GHOST DOG: THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI for director Jim Jarmusch to answer. The questions came in from cities around the world.
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Forest Whitaker, Isaach De Bankolé, and Michael Gillespie on GHOST DOG
This conversation among actors Forest Whitaker and Isaach De Bankolé is moderated by film scholar Michael B. Gillespie, author of “Film Blackness: American Cinema and the Idea of Black Film,” and was recorded using an online video-conference-call application in summer 2020.
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Casting GHOST DOG with Ellen Lewis
In this interview, recorded in 2020, casting director Ellen Lewis discusses the process of finding actors for GHOST DOG: THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI.
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The Odyssey: A Journey into the Life of a Samurai
This program documenting the making of GHOST DOG: THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI was produced in 2000.
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Shifu Shi Yan Ming on GHOST DOG
This new interview with the founder of the USA Shaolin Temple, Shifu Shi Yan Ming, was conducted in 2020.
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Jim Jarmusch, Forest Whitaker, and RZA on GHOST DOG
This 2000 program features interviews with director Jim Jarmusch, composer RZA, and actor Forest Whitaker.
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GHOST DOG Deleted Scenes and Outtakes
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Flying Birds: The Music of “Ghost Dog”
In this original program featuring RZA, filmmaker Daniel Raim explores his soundtrack for GHOST DOG: THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI.
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GHOST DOG Isolated Music Score
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GHOST DOG: THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI Trailer
Directed by Jim Jarmusch • 1999 • United States
Starring Forest Whitaker, John Tormey, Cliff GormanJim Jarmusch combined his love for the ice-cool crime dramas of Jean-Pierre Melville and Seijun Suzuki with the philosophical dimensions of samurai mythology for an eccentrically postmodern take o...
