Ghost dog: way of the samurai [DVD]

In a terrific central performance, Forest Whitaker plays Ghost Dog, an ex-gangster and thug, who after his conversion to the spiritual asceticism of the ancient Samurai code, has turned away from vice and sin to raise pigeons and contemplating the meaning of life. His one connection to the old criminal world is to be a hitman for a mafia don to whom he owes his life. Jim Jarmusch’s film is part film-noir, part gangster movie and part thriller, yet transcends any simplistic genre categorisation. Instead, what this deeply humane film investigates is the loss and fear prevalent in contemporary culture when traditional moral codes have broken down (ironically, represented by the mafia), and as yet people are unsure of what will take the place of old certainties. For Ghost Dog the answer lies both in a return to the past, as well as embracing the new relationship of a multicultural diverse world. This is an exciting thriller with an outstanding hip-hop soundtrack, as well as being a deeply meditative film about race, class and difference.