30 Second Bottom Line: Even after he knows he is to be eliminated (whacked), a hired killer respects the people he works for because of his moral code, as dictated by his belief in the samurai warrior tradition. We see how traditions are honored and passed on from one generation to the next among criminals.

Story Line: Ghost Dog (Forest Whitaker) is a man no one messes with on the street. He is quiet and reclusive. While we don't know about his background in any real detail, we do learn that while a young man he was beaten by a gang of thugs and Louie (John Tormey) saved his life. Ghost Dog becomes forever indebted to him.

Louie is in the local Italian mob that operates out of a Chinese restaurant, and from time to time he hires Ghost Dog to carry out assassinations. They communicate only via carrier pigeon. Ghost Dog lives in a shanty on the roof of an apartment building, caring for his pigeons. Louie meets with him once a year to pay him on the first day of autumn. Other than that, he gets his assignments and carries them out over the course of the year simply with the messages from the pigeons.

Ghost Dog stays to himself other than his "conversations" with a Haitian man who sells ice cream from a truck and speaks only French. Somehow, while they speak to each other in words neither understands, they have a crystal clear understanding of what they are saying. Eye contact, arm movement and vocal sounds comprise the special language that allows them to communicate. I was reminded of this when I bought a suitcase in Reims, France last year. I spoke no French and the merchant spoke no English. However, we found a way to work it out by both making a sincere effort.

Ghost Dog deals with honor and respect, although not quite with the code of ethics we get from our religious leaders. Things are going fine until Ghost Dog carries out the perfect murder of a crime lord. He steals a car to use when committing the murder and he likes only the best cars. He's very skillful and knows how to bypass all the fancy electronics. He drives with white gloves to avoid fingerprints; takes care of business and gets away. After the hit, some leaders in the mob are upset the person was killed. Someone must suffer retribution and with mob logic, it makes more sense to whack the assassin rather than the person who hired him. Ghost Dog is a marked man. As this plays out, a number of people are killed.

This man is a smart and skillful fellow. When he runs into a problem, he turns on the charm and reminds himself that according to samurai law "all decisions should be made in less than 7 breaths." The film concludes in a thought provoking way, which will have you liking it more and more as you have time to think about it. That is the mark of an outstanding film.

Tell Me More About It: One of the more clever techniques used in the film to telegraph some action is to show a cartoon of a similar situation. This is wry, interesting humor at various points in the movie and profound at the end.

I love the way the film deals with racial issues. Unlike the in your face style of Spike Lee (not meant as a criticism, but an observation) this is also in your face, but you realize it after the fact rather than during the act. At one point a mobster talks about how Indians and Blacks have funny names like, Ghost Dog, and then he calls one of his accomplices by a name that is really not any different. With the current discussions about racial profiling by the police, you will recognize a scene where the true meaning of DWB (driving while black) comes into play when the mob sees another black man who lives on a roof with pigeons just like Ghost Dog.

Pay attention to the quotes in the film from the "way of the samurai" dictums that Ghost Dog adheres to; in particular, the one about bears. This will come full circle when Ghost Dog is escaping from a scene and encounters some hunters who shot a black bear out of season.

While all the bad guys are men, the women portrayed here are quick studies and by the end of the movie, you are seeing into the future of how the respect issue plays out toward the next generation. I'm being purposely evasive, as I don't want to spoil any of the surprises as they evolve.

This is a thought-provoking film, examining how one hunts another human being for the purpose of assassination. Were it not for a silly karate scene in the ghetto and some caricature roles of the mob, this would likely be in my top ten movies for the year. But since it's so early in 2000, I am confident this will remain a really great film, although not in the top 10. But if I keep thinking about this movie's positive points, I might change my mind and slip it in the top ten. If you like Forest Whitaker or mob movies, see this as soon as you can. For sure if you are a person that likes movies with an edge that make you think, this is a must see film.

Ghost Dog: Forest Whitaker	Louise Vargo: Tricia Vessey
Louie: John Tormey	Young Ghost Dog: Damon Whitaker
Director: Jim Jarmusch