Set in the streets of New York City, here is a space where old school meets older school. Here is a time when the strength, unity and devotion of the Mafioso are put to the test against the loyalty, purity and selflessness of the way of the Samurai. Everything seems to be changing.
Nothing seems the same.
Jarmush plays heavily on the notions of hybridity resulting from our cross-cultured world. Where an Inner City black man, devoted to pigeons, works as a contract killer for the Mafia, a retainer to a minor mob boss, all the while immersing himself in the philosophy and moral principles of an ancient oriental culture. In fact, throughout out the film, Jarmush presents cleverly composed multilingual dialog scenes that clutter the boundaries of human communication. And yet the message strongly points towards finding purity despite the chaos. Ghost Dog has found a strong solid ground whereas the Mafia, in contrast, is wobbling on very shaky ground.