DVD
Ghost dog : the way of the samurai
Call Number
- DVD DRAMA (CEN)
Edition
Director-approved two-DVD special edition.
Languages
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing.
Performers
Forest Whitaker, John Tormey, Cliff Gorman, Henry Silva, Isaach De Bankolé, Tricia Vessey, Victor Argo, Gene Ruffini, Richard Portnow, Camille Winbush.
Publication Information
[Irvington, NY] : Criterion Collection, [2020]
Physical Description
2 videodiscs (116 minutes) : sound, color ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 booklet (39 pages : illustrations ; 19 cm.)
Audience
MPAA rating: R; for strong violence and language.
Summary
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 Robby Müller, a mesmerizing score by the Wu-Tang Clan's RZA, and a host of colorful character actors, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai plays like a pop-culture-sampling cinematic mixtape built around a one-of-a-kind tragic hero.
Notes
Title from container.
Originally released as a motion picture in 1999.
Speical features: New 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Jim Jarmusch ; alternate isolated stereo music track ; new Q&A with Jarmusch, in which he responds to questions sent in by fans ; new conversation between actors Forest Whitaker and Isaach De Bankrole, moderated by film scholar Michael B. Gillespie ; new interview with casting director Ellen Lewis ; new interview with Shifu Shi Yan Ming, founder of the USA Shaolin Temple ; Flying birds: the music of "Ghost Dog," a new video essay on RZA's score by filmmaker Daniel Raim ; The odyssey: a journey into the life of a samurai, a 2000 program on the making of the film ; deleted scenes and outtakes ; archival interviews ; trailer.