Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (Criterion Collection) (DVD)

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 the great Robby Muller, a mesmerizing score by the Wu-Tang Clan's RZA, and a host of colorful character actors (including a memorably stone-faced Henry Silva), Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai plays like a pop-culture-sampling cinematic mixtape built around a one-of-a-kind tragic hero.

Starring: Isaach de Bankol, Isaach de Bankolé, Forest Whitaker, John Tormey, Cliff Gorman, Frank Minucci, Henry Silva, Damon Whitaker, Vince Viverito, Vinny Vella, Richard Portnow, Tricia Vessey, Gene Ruffini, Victor Argo, Chuck Jeffreys, Joe Rigano, Isaach DeBankole, Camille Winbush, Gary Farmer, Clebert Ford, Angel Caban, Tracy Howe, Robert Diggs Jr

Director: Frank Ferrin, Jim Jarmusch, Richard Guay