Directed by:
Jim JarmuschScreenplay:
Jim JarmuschCinematography:
Robby MüllerComposer:
RZACast:
Forest Whitaker, John Tormey, Cliff Gorman, Dennis Liu, Richard Portnow, Tricia Vessey, Henry Silva, Frank Adonis, Victor Argo, Gano Grills, Chuck Jeffreys (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
Jim Jarmusch combines 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 mesmerizing 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. (Criterion)
(more)Cast
Forest Whitaker
USA
Best movies:
Platoon (1986)
Phone Booth (2002)
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
John Tormey
USA
Best movies:
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001)
Stay (2005)
Cliff Gorman
USA
Best movies:
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
All That Jazz (1979)
The Bunker (1981) (TV movie)
Dennis Liu
Best movies:
Richard Portnow
USA
Best movies:
Se7en (1995)
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
Trumbo (2015)
Tricia Vessey
USA
Best movies:
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
The Brave (1997)
Kiss the Girls (1997)
Henry Silva
USA
Best movies:
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
The Jayhawkers (1959)
Frank Adonis
USA
Best movies:
Casino (1995)
Goodfellas (1990)
Raging Bull (1980)
Victor Argo
USA
Best movies:
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
Gano Grills
Best movies:
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
Hannibal (2001)
Bomb the System (2002)
Chuck Jeffreys
USA
Best movies:
12 Monkeys (1995)
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
Superfights (1995)
Isaach De Bankolé
Ivory Coast
Best movies:
Night on Earth (1991)
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
Casino Royale (2006)
Gary Farmer
Canada
Best movies:
Dead Man (1995)
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
Police Academy (1984)
Tracy Howe
Best movies:
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
Bridge of Spies (2015)
Crazy Moon (1987)
Harry Shearer
USA
Best movies:
The Simpsons: Heaven and Hell (2002) (video compilation)
The Simpsons: Too Hot For TV (1998) (video compilation)
The Simpsons: Dark Secrets (1998) (video compilation)
RZA
USA
Best movies:
American Gangster (2007)
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
Hype Williams: The Videos, Vol. 1 (2002) (video compilation)
Sharon Angela
Best movies:
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
City Island (2009)
Two Family House (2000)
Jamie Hector
USA
Best movies:
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
Quarry (2016) (series)
Belly (1998)
Joseph Rigano
USA
Best movies:
Casino (1995)
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
Coffee and Cigarettes (2003)
Vinny Vella
USA
Best movies:
Casino (1995)
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
Rounders (1998)