Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai a 1999 internationally co-produced martial arts crime thriller drama film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. Forest Whitaker stars in the title role. I was fascinated by the concept of Whitaker as a modern-day Samurai, and I tend to like Jarmusch's work. I'd definitely recommend this one. I watched it on HBO Max.

trailer:

Senses of Cinema says,

Ghost Dog attains high levels of spirituality by practicing martial arts and reading the Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai, an 18th century book that established the philosophy of the samurai. Quotes from the Hagakure are presented intermittently on the screen throughout the film. While this seems to interrupt the narrative, it actually provides a philosophical context to interpret Ghost Dog’s actions. But even more, Ghost Dog is a film whose characters share their life and philosophy by exchanging books. Therefore, Ghost Dog seems to be a self-conscious film, which tries to share its spirituality with its viewers...

Slate Magazine opens with this: "Jim Jarmusch’s 1999 masterwork Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is a film that’s strange in the most beautiful way." The Guardian concludes, "I found it increasingly beguiling - it really grows on you. Jarmusch finds in the brutal world of the professional killer not merely black comedy but sadness and his own strand of wistful poetry." Roger Ebert has a positive review and calls it "weirdly intriguing". Rotten Tomatoes has an audience consensus score of 86%.