Ghost Dog: the Way of the Samurai (1999 Jim Jarmusch & scr)

Distinctive, unique, and very funny, ultra-stylish from opening (literally) bird's eye view of city to ultra cool music from RZA (Wu Tang Clan), shot by cool cameraman Robby Müeller.

Forest Whitaker, John Tormey, Tricia Vessey, Henry Silva, Isaach de Bankolé, Camille Winbush.

Full of moments to love - the boat builder on the rooftop, the conversations in French and English, the cartoons that litter the film, the mystique of the samurai's 'way', 'Night Nurse', the old gangster who has a heart attack (thus Forest lowers one of his guns)...

Weirdly enough, the other illegitimate offspring of Melville's Le Samourai was on TV the same night (Clooney in The American).

The book quoted, Yamamoto's 'Bushido: the Way of the samurai', features frequently interesting material, such as "Matters of great concern should be treated wisely. Matters of small concern should be treated seriously" and, anticipating the climactic confrontation "When one has made a decision to kill a person, even if it will be very difficult to succeed by advancing straight ahead, it will not do to think about going at it in a long roundabout way. The Way of the Samurai is one of immediacy, and it is best to dash in headlong."

Also, I liked "Our bodies are given life from the midst of nothingness. Existing where there is nothing is the meaning of the phrase, ‘Form is emptiness.’ That all things are provided for by nothingness is the meaning of the phrase, ‘Emptiness is form.’ One should not think that these are two separate things."

Jim's films are: Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) the vampire one with Tom Hiddlestone, Tilda Swinton and Mia Wasikowska, The Limits of Control (2009) also with de Bankolé, Broken Flowers (2005), Coffee and Cigarettes (2003), short episodes with Murray, Waits, Benigni, Buscemi, de Bankolé, Dead Man (1995) with Johnny Depp (a sort of western), Night on Earth (1991). multiple stories about cab drivers, Mystery Train (1989) (Memphis, Elvis), Down by Law (1986), Stranger Than Paradise (1984, cousins meet) and Permanent Vacation (1980).