Speak Film and Enter · Nate Johnson, Dylan Watson, and Adam Borremans

Episode 642: Ghost Dog: The Way of The Samurai (1999)

·51 min·4 clips

Discover why Ghost Dog is a one-of-a-kind film that boldly melds samurai philosophy with modern crime storytelling.

This episode of Speak, Film, and Enter features hosts Nate, Dylan, and Adam reviewing Jim Jarmusch's 1999 indie film *Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai*. The hosts explain this movie was a catalyst for their podcast's "year of the 90s" theme and they finally watched it together as a group. They note the film stars Forest Whitaker as an African-American hitman who lives by the samurai code and is targeted by the Italian mob. The hosts detail the film's plot, which closely mirrors Jean-Pierre Melville's French crime film *Le Samouraï* in its opening hitman sequence. They highlight a comedic scene where the aging, cartoon-watching mobsters in a Jersey bar interrogate Ghost Dog's handler, Louie. The episode mentions Ghost Dog's quiet moments, like his rooftop pigeon coop and a bench conversation about *The Wind in the Willows* with a young girl. They discuss the violent rampage at the mob's mansion and the symbolic encounter with bear hunters in the woods. A surprising insight is that Forest Whitaker has no on-screen, non-voiceover dialogue for the first 37 minutes of the film. The hosts find it clever how the film references Akira Kurosawa's *Rashomon* by showing Ghost Dog and Louie's first meeting from two differing perspectives. They note a tidbit that Ghost Dog is only seen by others during daytime scenes, moving invisibly at night like a true ghost. The three-shot pattern used to kill Handsome Frank mirrors the ritual suicide of seppuku. The episode reveals that Jim Jarmusch wrote the role specifically for Forest Whitaker and would not have made the film without him. A memorable moment involved an unscripted take where a pigeon landed on Whitaker's gun during a scene, which Jarmusch kept. The hosts appreciate how the film's hip-hop soundtrack, including a cameo by RZA, connects the samurai ethos to modern street culture. They observe the Italian mobsters are portrayed as outdated and pitiable, trapped in a dying way of life. The tone is conversational and analytical, with three friends sharing their enthusiasm and observations about a cult film. The style is informal, filled with inside jokes and tangents about other movies like *Dead Man* and *Paterson*. This episode would appeal to fans of indie cinema, Jim Jarmusch, or listeners interested in deep-dive discussions of unique 90s films. It might be less engaging for those seeking a highly structured, fact-only review or for listeners unfamiliar with the movie.

As heard by us

A calm, funny conversation about honor, authenticity, and why Jarmusch's mix works.

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is presented as a 1999 film about an African-American mafia hitman who lives by the samurai code, and the episode keeps circling that premise without letting it go flat.

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Why you'd press play

If you want Ghost Dog argued as both a hitman movie and a samurai code story, start here.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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