Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
Samurais can be gangsta too.
Presentation:
When I learned that Jim Jarmusch made a hitman movie inspired by one of my favorite Jean Pierre Melville movies Le Samourai, I was excited to check it out. There are big expectations to fill, but I can say this was a solid movie. Like all of his films, the pacing is chill with the plot starting to roll after 30 minutes. Forrest Whitaker is okay as a philosophical assassin, but the humor is more subdued. It references a lot of movies - Le Samourai with the French immigrant and code of honor, and the seemingly irrelevant nod to Rashomon. One thing is for certain - damn, is everything Jim Jarmusch touches cool as a cat.
Conclusion:
This is probably the 3rd or 4th movie you should watch from Jim Jarmusch. There’s more good than bad in this film with pretty unique stylized action. It’s not exactly John Wick, but I can see this DNA influenced in those movies. The best part of this experience was the element of surprise. Similar to Paterson, Jarmusch adds a faint air of poetry to his films, which subtly elevates this into an existential mood piece. For that reason, this cult film has potential to be someone’s favorite movie. Just make sure this isn’t the first film you watch from him.
Recommendations
So slow, you’ll be begging this assassin to kill you…