This Sunday night we present two films about non-Japanese hitmen obsessed with the Samurai Code of Bushido.
7:30 pm
Le Samouraï (1967) France
Jef Costello is a perfectionist hitman who never gets caught. After a hit gone wrong with surviving witnesses and an ever elusive alibi, Jef is backed into a corner. His code of solitary honour predisposes him to complete his task, yet under an air of the inevitability of death. Jean-Pierre Melville’s use and deconstruction of the American Noir Genre in this picture has heavily influenced other film makers. John Woo noted that everything about Le Samouraï is perfect, and was a central inspiration for The Killer (1989).
9:30 pm
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999) USA
Acclaimed writer and director Jim Jarmusch was also heavily influenced by Le Samouraï in the development of Ghost Dog. The story follows an African American hitman, played by Forest Whitaker, who is self-retained within the local New York mob and strictly follows the Bushido code of Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai. When he becomes expendable can Ghost Dog maintain his code of honour and still confront his mob superiors? Jarmusch’s films often capture and are based around moments, yet his slow direction style in this picture is balanced by a beat heavy soundtrack compiled and composed by Wu Tang Clan’s the RZA. This is one of my favourite films, even though I haven’t seen it since it came out. I’m exited to see it through new eyes along with its French inspiration.
2 comments:
This might convince me to avoid my family dinner.
I'll call you if I'm coming!
I find it very strange that ten minutes ago I saw these two films sitting side-by-side on a Thai bootleg shelf, with no other flicks present, and now I find this post.
Creepy. Is it possible that Brendan and BJ control the fabric of reality?
Also, Ghost Dog is cool.
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