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May
8, 2000
by
Veronica Mixon
He
is an actor who constantly surprises his fans. In Clint
Eastwood's flawed portrait of Charlie Parker, Whitaker
illuminated the character's pain in "Bird." He
also shined in Neil Jordan's emotional thriller, "The
Crying Game."
In
his latest film, "Ghost Dog," Whitaker plays
an urban warrior guided by indie director, Jim Jarmusch.
Did
you talk about an urban contemporary Samurai? We
discussed that. That was the kernel of the idea and
we got more deep about the code, the brief and tribes,
and it started to grow from there.
 |
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| Whitaker
in Ghost Dog |
Were
you familiar with any Samurai philosophy before that?
Yeah,
very familiar. I hadn't read the "Hagakure" and
another book we used called "The Code of the Samurai"
but I had been reading about the samurai and jujitsu and
Japanese culture since I was a young child - maybe eleven.
I was familiar with that and I'd seen a lot of films.
What
was it that really appealed to you? The codes. I
like the Japanese culture in the sense in that what
we were following deals with more aboriginal thought
and religion, not so just Buddhism but more like Shintom.
Also, more aboriginal beliefs like African beliefs and
things like that. For me, the character is a mythic
arch-typical character that transcends that. This is
just the doctrine that he lives by - that particular
book. It deals with cultures from all over the world
as well as the Hip-Hop culture, which we have here.
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|
| The
Ghost Dog Poster |
Did
you do any martial arts or sword training? The sword
works is most improvisational because I studied martial
arts when I was young. It's mostly Filipino martial
arts. And, then the one with the long sword is most
Japanese martial arts. That one, I learned for the movie.
Someone showed me that and from that, I learned his
gestures with the sword and the way he touches his gun.
I used books and whatever.
Why
was he a hit man rather than lawman? You'd probably
have to ask Jim. I mean, I don't think-he's an urban
myth, an urban legend and that's not generally the character
that would be representative of that environment. He
becomes a hit man because that's what Louie asks him
to do. When Louie saves my life, at that point, I give
my life over to him. At that point, I die. I ask him
what he'd like me to do and I do it. I don't think he
was a hit man before that. He follows a certain code
- only accepts money on the first of autumn; I only
contact you through my birds. There are these rules
that he goes by. That was something that was given to
him by the mob to repay a debt.
Did
you make up a back-story for your character? Sure.
And, you know it was in the film-part of it. It was
taken out of the film. Jim didn't want to explain too
much about who he was. He talked before and there was
an issue about this woman that he was in love with and
different things. That was excised from the script because
it was another film. He felt that wasn't really important.
Here's a character that was a myth. He exists here,
now and everywhere. He is what he is.
Considering
Columbine and issues with gun laws, did you have any
trepidation about guns being used in film? I think
it's very violent - the film is very violent. It's spiritual,
as well, but it is very violent. It's a characture.
I don't believe that by not utilizing a weapon in a
film, you're going to stop people from shooting each
other. I think that's a social issue that you have to
address. What's wrong with the culture, people and the
planet? How they feel about themselves? How much they
love? Their financial needs and how they are dealt with
by the government. The parents of the people - it's
a much deeper issue.
Could
you talk about working with the carrier pigeons?
I came here three months early and I asked them to get
me a pigeon. This one pigeon stayed with me in my loft
for five months so I could study how they move, think
the way he does things, etc. He didn't end up being
the one we used in the film because he was too ordinary.
He was an ordinary gray street pigeon. But, if I hadn't
have done that, I wouldn't have been able to deal with
the pigeons in that way. Like when the flies on me and
I continue to mess with my weapon, etc. The bird isn't
'rained to stay on me. I know how not the move and how
to move while he's on me. I learned that while dealing
with the bird.
How
is Jarmusch different from other directors? His
point of view and just the way he looks at the world.
He has a skewed view of it. I mean, you look in the
room, and I wouldn't be able to say what he'd find interesting
to shoot. It would still be all of us talking but it
would be on the table and just our hands. I don't know.
It's a very unique spirit and that what makes him special.
Were
there are any surprises? We talked about certain
scenes - like I was going to work with Isaach de BankolÈ
- when Jim came back with the scene and he doesn't speak
any English. He does speak English. But we're speaking
to each other and we understand each other totally -
that's the kind of idea I'm talk about. That's the way
Jim thinks. Like I said, I'd like to do films that have
hope in them. Well, there is some hope at the end but
even that boat scene-where does it come from? Someone
is building a boat on the top of a building? And, it
represents something about living by your own muse,
living by your own dream, your own code, etc. Isaach
speak French, the boat builder speaks Spanish and how
is he going to get it down [off the roof] but that is
Jim's mind.
There
are different accounts of how Louie and Ghost Dog met.
Would Ghost Dog still owe a debt because his account
was different? I think not, because when he shot
the thugs, he saved my life. Also the "Rashomon" element
and notion of a Frankenstein monster. I was made into
something by someone else because of that moment. He
plays a lot with those kinds of things in the film.
And, [he] references other movies a lot. This is from
"Early Samurai." It's all about respect.
Your
character was a hi-tech genius. How did that come about?
I think you're looking at it too literally. If I look
at a samurai movie and I see him build something. [For
example] say it was "lone wolf and a cub" and he builds
booby traps. Where do they come from? He's an extraordinary
person; he's a mythic character, etc. I accept it. It's
a magical film. I think he knows how to do just about
everything. I think he learned how to do it. I think
all he does is sit in a room and meditate and work on
self-improvement and apply his words. And, a few times
a year, he goes out and kills someone. I accept that
he learned how to do plumbing and-
But,
he didn't learn languages? Yeah. The communication
- he doesn't have to have it. With the birds - it's
a carrier pigeon. Now, you can question whether he's
talking [and understanding] the bird. It's a little
bit of magic involved. First scene, people pass you
and didn't notice you, except neighbors. Jim wanted
me to walk the neighborhood like I was a ghost. It was
timed so that when I passed some one they would turn
just after and look in another direction. That was a
piece choreography that he did.
Do
you have a connection to the hip hop culture? Do you
listen to the music? Yeah, all the time. I love
Hip-Hop music. I love all the different kinds - rapping,
old school funky Hip-Hop.
Did
you have a choice about who was doing the music?
Jim made that decision. I mean, we talk about it and
he said it would be amazing if we could get RZA. I said,
I think he'd probably relate to you because you both
live in your own worlds and you're both independent
artists. This is about - his music is always reflecting
martial arts and eastern philosophies. You should approach
him. I told him when you go back to New York, you should
try to get a hold of him and he did, and they did get
along. But, it was Jim's decision. He's a very clear
director. He's open to acting/directing collaboration
but those scenes and they way he wrote them were clearly
in his mind. I'd say, why don't he have shrines, etc.
but the core, it's his mind.
As
a director, did you learn anything from him? No.
I think he's a great director. Jim directs from his
spirit. It's not that he thinks. It's not like he doesn't
do long shots or wide shorts. It's just that he looks
at things differently. And, I don't have his point of
view and I will never have it. I have a different point
of view of the world. I just watching someone do there
on thing.
Did
you isolate yourself from other actors to maintain your
focus? I didn't do chit chat stuff. Jimmy rehearsed
us before and I met Louie - and Isaach I knew a little.
But, I'm not really friendly with anybody. Louie and
I aren't friends. Everybody else is people I kill -
mostly.
How
did you hook up with John Travolta to do "Battlefield"?
I actually called Jonathan Crane because I wanted him
to use one of our music artists. He asked me if I was
still acting and I said, yes. He said, there are a couple
of projects that we're doing and John wants to work
with you. I said, OK. I liked ["Battlefield"]
that one. I said, I'd be interested in the sci-fi film,
I love sci-fi, and I love that kind of stuff. I'd read
the book when I was in college and I met with the director.
Later, I went to John's house for some set-ups.
Did
they put your artist in the film? The film didn't
get released. It was a film called "Bar Hopping."
They have a song. His name was Trey from "The Fireside."
edited
by Veronica Mixon
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