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The Movie:
If "Ghost Dog" can be called one thing, it's definitely "original". The film is a wild, engaging story about a modern-day hitman who follows the laws of the anicent Samurai. One day he's saved by a member of the Mafia, and in return he works for this man, Louie, as a professional assassin. When things go wrong in one of the jobs, the mafia wants him killed.
The only problem is that no one knows who he is or where he lives. He lives on a rooftop with pigeons and communicates only via his birds, who fly with notes. But his employers never know where the birds are coming from. Director Jim Jarmusch moves the film along at a fairly slow pace, but I never lost interest and frequently wondered just what would happen next.
The film takes the ideas that are usually behind this kind of story and spins them around, keeping the audience guessing. Forest Whitaker plays Ghost Dog to absolute perfection in a quiet, serious performance that doesn't show many emotions, but still manages to keep the viewer interested in the character, as he eventually goes to hunt down the men hunting him.
Some flaws do stand out more than others. A couple of the characters seem a little stereotypical, but they are all well-played. Still, it's Whitaker's movie and his performance is as involving as it is quiet. It's a flawed, but at the same time fascinating, film.
The DVD
VIDEO: Artisan does a fine job here on interesting visual material. "Ghost Dog" maintains a gritty, dark look to most of the film that looks clean and crisp here, and even the darker scenes contain solid visual information, never looking too dark. Images are consistently sharp and crisp, looking strong with good detail and clarity.
There aren't too many flaws that I noticed. There are some slight instances of pixelation, but these are minor. A couple of scenes look slightly grainy, but this seems to be by intent. Print flaws are minor and mainly just include some slight speckles a couple of times. Colors look subdued throughout much of the film; on occasion, a bright color will appear, and these instances look fine. Mostly though, this is a dark looking film which suits the tone of the movie.
SOUND: The film's Dolby Digital 5.1 audio is appropriate, but not extremely active. The most appealing element is the hip-hop score by the RZA. It frequently thumps out some pretty solid beats, which sound dynamic and intense.
Surround use is noticable, but I didn't find that it was lacking or overdone. Surrounds offer the score and some background sounds. Much of the audio stays in the front, and I was involved enough with what the front had to offer to be engaged by the overall sound. The quality of the audio is quite good, illustrated by the rich, deep beats of the hypnotic score which often enter into the film. Dialogue is clear but once or twice a little soft in volume, otherwise fine.
MENUS:: Not the most busy menus that Artisan has ever done, their work for "Ghost Dog" still does contain some minor animation and the score in the background.
EXTRAS:
Outtakes: About 5 minutes or so worth of alternate takes.
Trailers: Teaser 1(Dolby 5.1/Full Frame), Teaser 2(Dolby 5.1/1.85:1), Teaser 3(Dolby 5.1/1.85:1); as well as 3 TV Spots(Dolby 2.0).
Ghost Dog: The Odyssey: A 20 minute documentary detailing the making-of "Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai". Much of it involves interviews with director Jarmusch, Whitaker and composer the RZA, who all talk about the way that the production came together. The three of them cover all aspects of the film, from the music to the philosophy behind the film. Although moments here and there feel somewhat promotional, the comments by the three do provide insight into the making and story of "Ghost Dog". The box says this documentary is 30 minutes - it's actually 20.
Also: Music video, isolated score (2.0) and cast/crew bios.
Final Thoughts: Not many saw "Ghost Dog" in the theaters, but I think it's worth taking a look at, at least as a rental. Artisan has again done fine work on this DVD effort for the film.
Film Grade
The Film B
DVD Grades
Video 90/A- = (360/400 possible points)
Audio: 88/B = (352/400 possible points)
Extras: 83/B = (249/300 possible points)
Menus: 80/B- = (160/200 possible points)
Value: 81/B = (243/300 possible points)
TOTAL POINTS:1364/1600
DVD GRADE:B/85%
FILM GRADE: B
DVD GRADE: B
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