Guest Review: The Orient in general is perceived as a place of exotic scents, scenery and cultural traditions. All of that is present in Memoirs of a Geisha, but how well they are carried throughout the film remains in doubt, even as the Oscar nominations are being reviewed.
At one time, Geishas lived in a world apart, even from their own culture. They were often raised from childhood in a strict atmosphere that taught them how to please and how to attract a man, down to the tiniest gesture that would entrance the male mind and hormones.
So starts the movie, with the character of Sayuri being sold at age nine, to work in a Geisha house. There, she is tormented constantly by one of the reigning Geishas, at the same time she is driven in slave-fashion by the house “mother”. Alienated and afraid, Sayuri is caught weeping one day when she had escaped the house, and is comforted by a handsome, distinguished man who turns out to be the Chairman for whom she carries a torch in the ensuing years.
Time rolls on as it has a tendency to do. The war comes, and now old enough to become a Geisha herself, Sayuri is pressured in the nicest way by her unattainable love, to “welcome” an important American general. As the newest and brightest star in the Geisha house, the hatred poured on her by a fading rival, becomes an unfortunate repetition of hackneyed lines and sub-plots about jealousy.
The tangled web of relationships, is not played out as well as the presentation of riches offered Western senses from the Far East. Visually stimulating, “Memoirs of a Geisha” nonetheless leaves you regretting that more attention was not paid to how the events that change Sayuri’s life, actually changed an entire country and culture.
Alice‘s Comments: Personally, this one of the best movies I’d seen in a long time. It’s true that it wasn’t necessarily historically accurate and the Geisha clothing, makeup and hair were not of the traditional Geisha. Not to mention the fact that not all the actors were Japanese. Still, the story and the characters had me captivated – and that was enough for me to love the movie. I wasn’t in it for a history lesson.
I read the book about 8 or so years ago and that didn’t keep me from enjoying the movie. I know there are many militant book readers who always think the movie should be faithful to the book. Frankly, I don’t know why these people go see book movies because they’re always bound to be disappointed. No movie will be exactly faithful to a book – it’s just a whole different medium to communicate a story, not to mention the time constraints a movie is put under (unless Peter Jackson directs it…but that’s a whole different long story! LOL).
Director: Rob Marshall
Producers: Patty Whitcher, Bobby Cohen, Roger Birnbaum
Starring: Ziyi Zhang, Ken Watanabe, Gong Li, Michelle Yeoh, Youki Kudoh
Buy Memoirs of a Geisha on DVD
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