Jim Jarmusch holds a special place in my heart. When I first came across his Stranger Than Paradise in the mid-80s, I was blown away. This was independent filmmaking I could get my head around: funny, simple, low budget. It all seemed within my grasp. He’s maintained that sensibility over the last 25 years to varying degrees of success. I remember sitting and staring up at the stark black and white of Dead Man, thinking it was so boring but I could not take my eyes off it.
Ghost Dog saw Jarmusch working on cylinders. Trademark quiet and quirky, it ambles along on the methodical gait of star Forrest Whitaker. His Ghost Dog never wavers from his code just like Jarmusch himself. Love him or hate him (and he’s never been more lovable or accessible as a filmmaker than in this movie), Jarmusch serves as an important figure in the movies -- one with a code if you will -- as a reminder that it’s not always about box office and robots.
* I know some of you will quibble that this movie was actually released in 1999. It is my contention that it didn’t receive a wide release until the following year so qualifies for this decade. If you still don’t agree than simply strike it from the list and move all the previous entries up a notch. It will be this decade’s loss, though.
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