(c) Photofest / Getty Images
“Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai” A Jarmusch film that combines hip-hop, martial arts, and diverse cultures
Surprising New York subculture
Another interesting element in the film is the presence of pigeons. Even though cell phones are already commonplace at this time, the characters rely on pigeons to contact Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai. This also creates some unexpected laughs. The sight of the Italian Mafia chasing pigeons is very funny.
Seeing Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai living with pigeons on the roof reminds me of Mike Tyson. Mike Tyson, who was born in New York, also famously kept pigeons on his roof. And classic movie fans will also remember the main character played by Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront (1954).
"The Waterfront" Trailer
There is a New York subculture of keeping pigeons on rooftops. People of all races enjoy keeping pigeons. This is shown in the documentary "Above Brooklyn" (2009/unreleased in Japan).
Jarmusch wanted this film to be a cross-cultural one. Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is the first film to beautifully combine the hip-hop movement that was started by black and Hispanic New Yorkers in the 70s with the hundreds of years of Japanese The Samurai culture, which is now commonplace.
Text: Anzureratto
Writes mainly for the magazine "Eiga Hiho" (Yosensha). His book ``Black Movie Guide'' (Small Publishing) is now on sale.
(c) Photofest / Getty Images
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