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All Movie Info
Directed By
Jim Jarmusch
Written By:
Jim Jarmusch
Cast:
Forest Whitaker, Cliff Gorman, Henry Silva, John Tormey, Isaach de Bankole, Tricia Vessey, Victor Argo, Gene Ruffini, Richard Portnow, RZA, Camille Winbush
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Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
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Nothing seems to make sense anymore.
It has been said that you learn to appreciate Scotch. It is not something you like on your first try. I feel that is also true of Jim Jarmusch.
It took more than one viewing before I appreciated Broken Flowers, and I imagine it will take several viewings before I appreciate all that this film has to offer. That's OK, as Jarmusch himself said of his films, "It's great that the audience have their own different takes on what they have just seen, and don't know all the answers. Often, I don't know all the answers either." A warrior that lives by a code thousands of years old comes in contact with warriors who also live by a code that is dying. They are relics of the past that have not come to grips with the present. They have morphed into characters that reflect the cartoons they constantly watch. Henry Silva is fascinating as an aging Don after so many films in which he plays the sadistic killer.
But, Oscar winner Forest Whitaker (Last King of Scotland) is brilliant as Ghost Dog, the killer who lives by the Samurai code, even to the point of accepting the time and circumstances of his death.
The most fascinating aspect of the film, however, is the communication that went on between Ghost Dog and a Haitain ice-cream vendor that only spoke French, and a little girl that read prolifically. A whole book could be written about this, but I leave it to the viewer to study on his/her own.
It was a good film, but like Scotch, Jarmusch is an acquired taste, and must be viewed repeatedly to appreciate.
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 | Lisa
May 17, 2007 9:33 AM
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| I totally dismissed this movie for 2 reasons; 1. the title is just ridiculous, 2. I pratice japanese swordsmanship and after seeing Whitaker wield the katana I wanted to commit seppuku.......I may one day get over myself and watch this flick but I'm not in a hurry to do so. |
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