GHOST DOG: THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI --*** -- Forest Whitaker, John Tormey, Isaach de Bankole, Camille Winbush, Henry Silva, Cliff Gorman, Tricia Vessey, Victor Argo; in English and French, with English subtitles; rated R (violence, profanity, racial epithets, gore); exclusively at the Tower Theatre.
Only a filmmaker like Jim Jarmusch would ever think of combining such seemingly incompatible elements as the hitman thriller, mob dramas, hip-hop music and deadpan humor.And what's more, only a filmmaker like Jarmusch could make such a seemingly doomed film work as well as it does in "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai," a dark comic thriller that's easily his best film in years.
Of course, as big as this accomplishment is, the real triumph here may be that the oddball writer/director has finally managed to rein in the forced quirkiness that marred some of his later films (especially the amusingly erratic "Night on Earth" and the downright flabbergasting "Dead Man").
That's not to say "Ghost Dog" is devoid of the general goofiness and off-kilter humor that Jarmusch movies are known for -- but they're tempered with vivid characterizations, thrills and even a bit of drama, which makes this a much better cinematic package. (Still, as much as the film will please longtime Jarmusch fans, neophytes may be turned off by the film's indulgences, of which there are many.)
The title character is a professional killer (sleepy-eyed Forest Whitaker), who carries out his job in the manner of a modern-day samurai -- with as little noise and fuss as possible.
He's also a pretty untalkative fellow who communicates with his boss, a small-time hood named Louie (John Tormey), via carrier pigeon, and has only a handful of friends, including the local ice-cream vendor (Isaach de Bankole, from "Night on Earth") and a young schoolgirl (newcomer Camille Winbush).
However, one thing Ghost Dog isn't short of is trouble, especially after one of his hits goes awry. He suddenly finds himself the target of a mob hit, thanks to angry gangster Ray Vargo (veteran heavy Henry Silva).
Unfortunately, Louie turns out to be one of Vargo's men, which sets up an inevitable showdown between Ghost Dog and his former employer, to whom he owes his life.
In its own odd way, the movie evokes memories of the classic French thriller "Le Samourai," as well as the films of Akira Kurosawa (in fact, there are direct references to the latter). But there's also a curious, yet entirely appropriate, modern-day sensibility, which includes a hip-hop soundtrack (by the RZA, from the Wu Tang Clan).
And even though the film does get a bit full of itself at times (especially in the scenes that show bits from television cartoons -- to remind us that this is supposed to be cartoonish), Whitaker makes a compelling lead, and the sense of humor here is refreshingly wry and ironic.
Also, the points about loyalty and the continuing circle of violence are nicely understated.
"Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai" is rated R for violent shootings and brief martial arts action, use of strong profanities and racial epithets, and some gore. Running time: 116 minutes.
You can reach Jeff Vice by e-mail at jeff@desnews.com