Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai Quotes
An African American mafia hit man who models himself after the samurai of old finds himself targeted for death by the mob.
Ghost Dog: There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to everything.
[after Vinny shoots a policewoman]
Louie: Jesus, Vinny. You just iced a woman, you know that?
Vinny: You know what you are, Louie? You're a fuckin' male chauvinist pig.
Louie: What do you mean, I'm a male chauvinist pig? You just shot a broad.
Vinny: A cop. I just shot a cop. They wanna be equal? I made her equal.
Louie: Jesus, Vinny. You just iced a woman, you know that?
Vinny: You know what you are, Louie? You're a fuckin' male chauvinist pig.
Louie: What do you mean, I'm a male chauvinist pig? You just shot a broad.
Vinny: A cop. I just shot a cop. They wanna be equal? I made her equal.
Sonny Valerio: What the fuck is his name?
Louie: Ghost Dog.
Sonny Valerio: What?
Louie: Ghost Dog.
Sonny Valerio: Ghost Dog?
Joe Rags: He said Ghost Dog.
Louie: Yeah. He calls himself Ghost Dog. I don't know, a lot of these Black guys today, these gangster-type guys, they make up names like that.
Ray Vargo: Is that true?
Sonny Valerio: Sure. He means like the rappers, you know, All the rappers, they got names like that: Snoop Doggy Dogg, Ice Cube, Q-Tip, Method Man. My favorite was always Flavor Flav from Public Enemy. You got the funky fresh fly flavor.
[rhymes hip-hop verse]
Ray Vargo: I don't know about that, but it makes me think of Indians. They got name like, uhh, Red Cloud, Crazy Horse, Running Bear, Black Elk.
[makes elk noise]
Sonny Valerio: Yeah. That kind of shit.
Joe Rags: Yeah. Indians, Niggers, Same thing.
Louie: Ghost Dog.
Sonny Valerio: What?
Louie: Ghost Dog.
Sonny Valerio: Ghost Dog?
Joe Rags: He said Ghost Dog.
Louie: Yeah. He calls himself Ghost Dog. I don't know, a lot of these Black guys today, these gangster-type guys, they make up names like that.
Ray Vargo: Is that true?
Sonny Valerio: Sure. He means like the rappers, you know, All the rappers, they got names like that: Snoop Doggy Dogg, Ice Cube, Q-Tip, Method Man. My favorite was always Flavor Flav from Public Enemy. You got the funky fresh fly flavor.
[rhymes hip-hop verse]
Ray Vargo: I don't know about that, but it makes me think of Indians. They got name like, uhh, Red Cloud, Crazy Horse, Running Bear, Black Elk.
[makes elk noise]
Sonny Valerio: Yeah. That kind of shit.
Joe Rags: Yeah. Indians, Niggers, Same thing.
[first lines]
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is found in death. Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily. Every day when one's body and mind are at peace, one should meditate upon being ripped apart by arrows, rifles, spears, and swords. Being carried away by surging waves. Being thrown into the midst of a great fire. Being struck by lightning, being shaken to death by a great earthquake. Falling from thousand-foot cliffs, dying of disease, or committing seppuku at the death of one's master. And every day, without fail, one should consider himself as dead. This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai.
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is found in death. Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily. Every day when one's body and mind are at peace, one should meditate upon being ripped apart by arrows, rifles, spears, and swords. Being carried away by surging waves. Being thrown into the midst of a great fire. Being struck by lightning, being shaken to death by a great earthquake. Falling from thousand-foot cliffs, dying of disease, or committing seppuku at the death of one's master. And every day, without fail, one should consider himself as dead. This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai.
Ghost Dog: It is said that what is called the Spirit of an Age is something to which one cannot return. That this spirit gradually dissipates is due to the world's coming to an end. In the same way, a single year does not have just spring or summer. A single day, too, is the same. For this reason, although one would like to change today's world back to the spirit of one hundred years or more ago, it cannot be done. Thus it is important to make the best out of every generation.
Ghost Dog: 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 doing it in a long, roundabout way. One's heart may slacken, he may miss his chance, and by and large there will be no success. The Way of the Samurai is one of immediacy, and it is best to dash in headlong.
Ghost Dog: 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.
Ray Vargo: Did you try to follow the bird? Put a bug on it? Anything like that?
Louie: No, I never had a reason to do anything like that. Like I said I realize that the arrangement I made with this guy is pretty weird, but he's always shown me complete respect.
Sonny Valerio: Well, a whole new century is coming, Louie, and Mr. Vargo wants every member of his family to make a priority to erase this weirdo.
Louie: This guy is a professional. Go after him can be very dangerous.
Sonny Valerio: Handsome Frank was one of us so now we're gonna peel this nigger cap back. Better him than you, right Louie?
Louie: No, I never had a reason to do anything like that. Like I said I realize that the arrangement I made with this guy is pretty weird, but he's always shown me complete respect.
Sonny Valerio: Well, a whole new century is coming, Louie, and Mr. Vargo wants every member of his family to make a priority to erase this weirdo.
Louie: This guy is a professional. Go after him can be very dangerous.
Sonny Valerio: Handsome Frank was one of us so now we're gonna peel this nigger cap back. Better him than you, right Louie?
[interviewing Louie for information about Ghost Dog]
Sonny Valerio: Where's he live?
Louie: Fuck, if I know. That's the next strange thing. I mean, I can't just call him up. Instead, he contacts me every day through a bird.
[pause]
Sonny Valerio: Did you just say he contacts you through a bird? Did I just hear you say that?
Sonny Valerio: Where's he live?
Louie: Fuck, if I know. That's the next strange thing. I mean, I can't just call him up. Instead, he contacts me every day through a bird.
[pause]
Sonny Valerio: Did you just say he contacts you through a bird? Did I just hear you say that?
Johnny Morini: I'm sorry, Willie, Mr. Vargo, Sonny, Mr.Bonaccelli, he was delayed on his way over.
Sonny Valerio: Sit down. Johnny, I want you to step outside, have yourself a smoke.
Johnny Morini: Sure, Sonny. Mr. Vargo!
[Leaves]
Sonny Valerio: We got really a big problem here, Louie. It seems like you're directly responsible for it. Your mystery man fucked up.
Louie: But Morini told me he put the girl... Mr. Vargo's daughter on the bus.
Sonny Valerio: He did, but she went off the bus and went to Handsome Frank's house.
Louie: You wanted Hadsome Frank whacked. So he got whacked. I settled all up, from outside, no traces, no nothing. Morini said she was on the bus, but, Jesus, I mean he's lucky he didn't do her too, right?
Ray Vargo: If he had, you would've been fuckin' dead.
Sonny Valerio: This is not a good situation, Louie.
Louie: Where is she now? Is she all right?
Sonny Valerio: Don't worry about Mr. Vargo's daughter. What we need to do is to eliminate the scumbag whacked Frank. Frank was one of us. His killer needs to be neutralized. Erase from the face of the planet.
Louie: For the past four years this guy's done, maybe, twelve perfect contracts. Perfect. Like a ghost. He's very valuable, he's totally untraceable. I'm sure he didn't realize anyone was gonna be there when he did Handsome Frank. He would've backed off. And it's sure as hell he didn't know that she was gonna be there.
Sonny Valerio: Louie, unless you don't wanna be buried next to Frank. It's time to tell us everything you know about this mysterious, ghost-like, untraceable, fuckin' button man.
Sonny Valerio: Sit down. Johnny, I want you to step outside, have yourself a smoke.
Johnny Morini: Sure, Sonny. Mr. Vargo!
[Leaves]
Sonny Valerio: We got really a big problem here, Louie. It seems like you're directly responsible for it. Your mystery man fucked up.
Louie: But Morini told me he put the girl... Mr. Vargo's daughter on the bus.
Sonny Valerio: He did, but she went off the bus and went to Handsome Frank's house.
Louie: You wanted Hadsome Frank whacked. So he got whacked. I settled all up, from outside, no traces, no nothing. Morini said she was on the bus, but, Jesus, I mean he's lucky he didn't do her too, right?
Ray Vargo: If he had, you would've been fuckin' dead.
Sonny Valerio: This is not a good situation, Louie.
Louie: Where is she now? Is she all right?
Sonny Valerio: Don't worry about Mr. Vargo's daughter. What we need to do is to eliminate the scumbag whacked Frank. Frank was one of us. His killer needs to be neutralized. Erase from the face of the planet.
Louie: For the past four years this guy's done, maybe, twelve perfect contracts. Perfect. Like a ghost. He's very valuable, he's totally untraceable. I'm sure he didn't realize anyone was gonna be there when he did Handsome Frank. He would've backed off. And it's sure as hell he didn't know that she was gonna be there.
Sonny Valerio: Louie, unless you don't wanna be buried next to Frank. It's time to tell us everything you know about this mysterious, ghost-like, untraceable, fuckin' button man.
