Forest Whitaker Quote of the Month: August 2006

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai concerns a child that is saved from death and adopted by a mobster named Louie. The child grows up under his care and, for whatever reason, steeps himself in the teachings of the Samurai. When he is grown, he believes himself a samurai warrior, and is so employed as a hitman for Louie's boss. When the order comes down for him to be eliminated, Ghost Dog does not go peaceably.

This may sound like a very conventional action film, but it isn't. Director Jim Jarmusch makes films that are slow and filled with quiet moments offset with quirky dialogue. This particular Jarmusch film also features some great music by RZA and the Wu Tang Clan. Ghost Dog himself is a man of few words. The majority of lines he speaks are his numerous quotations from The Hagakure. A Code to the Way of the Samurai. A more memorable line, however, occurs when is forced to shoot his savior Louie ... for a second time.

Louie: "Goddamn it! You shot me in the exact same f#&king place as last time!"

Ghost Dog: "I'm sorry. I mean you no disrespect. You're my retainer. I don't want to put too many holes in you."