Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is a 1999 offbeat samurai action film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. The film was shot mostly in Jersey City, NJ, but the movie never mentions where the story is set. License plates reveal it is in "The Industrial State." Forest Whitaker stars as the title character, the mysterious "Ghost Dog", an African American hitman in the employ of the Mafia, and who follows the ancient code of the samurai as outlined in the book of Yamamoto Tsunetomo's recorded sayings, Hagakure.

In Jersey City, an African American hit man follows "Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai." He lives alone, in simplicity with homing pigeons for company, calling himself Ghost Dog. His master, who saved his life eight years ago, is part of the local mob. When the boss' daughter witnesses one of Ghost Dog's hits, he becomes expendable. The first victims are his birds, and in response, Ghost Dog goes right at his attackers but does not want to harm his master or the young woman. On occasion, he talks with his best friend, a French-speaking Haitian who sells ice cream in the park, and with a child with whom he discusses books. Can he stay true to his code? And if he does, what is his fate? Written by