Men clinging to noble, outdated ideals in a world that no longer cares about such things: that's the concept here. Whitaker shows amazing strength and control in an antihero role that is necessarily secretive and subdued. Silva and Tormey turn in solid performances -- Tormey is especially poignant as the second-fiddle mafioso, torn between his admiration of Ghost Dog and his devotion to his own sempai (Silva).
The excellent soundtrack, courtesy of RZA, adds its own somber-yet-hip mood to the work. Jarmusch frames his characters on rooftops, on 'hood byways, in mansions, in the back rooms of Chinese restaurants, and everywhere there is a feeling of the walls closing in, of things coming to an end, of finality. See it. It's a good movie.