Memoirs of a Geisha

4.0 / 5.0

Director: Rob Marshall

Producer: Steven Spielberg
Screenwriter: Robin Swicord
Author: Authur Golden
Date of Release: December / 23 / 2005
Genre : Romance, Drama
Cast : Zhang Ziyi (Chiyo, Sayuri), Gong Li (Hastumomo), Michelle
Yeoh (Mameha), Watanabe Ken (Chairman), Yakusho Koji
(Toshikazu Nobu)

Reviewed by Kyla Choi

Do you know what a geisha is? It is the name of a job in Japan as a professional artist. Those artists
should be good at several things such as music, dance, calligraphy, and painting. throughout
history, they performed their skills to noblemen in parties or meetings. Some people misunderst-
-and that the geisha also functioned as a prostitution women. However, the geisha is not only a
professional artist but also a very important part of the culture in Japan.

“Memoirs of a Geisha” is the story of Chiyo, who becomes

the best geisha in Kyoto. The movie begins  in 1929, when
the golden age of geisha is over. Chiyo is sold to the Okiya
(the lodging-house of a geisha) in Kyoto because of
poverty and becomes a maid of  Hatsumomo, a popular
geisha. Overcoming every humiliation from Hatsumomo,
she falls in love with the chairman, who taught her
kindness, and decides to become a geisha. She can be the
best pupil of Mameha, who is a famous geisha, and
makes a splendid debut in society as the best Geisha
Sayuri. However, Chiyo soon realizes that geisha cannot
choose their love. What will happen to Sayuri as a Geisha?
Can she overcome the constraints of geisha and get hold
of her love?
This movie is based on the book “Memoirs of a Geisha,” written by Author Golden. Steven Spielberg
produces and Rob Marshall, who directed “Chicago,”directs this movie. It narrates the life of geisha,
who is still considered as a mystic being to Western people, so it is an attractive story in itself. Also,
it describes geisha as a job that has the professional consciousness, training themselves strictly,
such as in singing, dancing, and writing poems. The theme of this movie is about “Destiny.” The
main character, Chiyo, doesn’t leave the Okiya even though she can escape. Instead of avoiding her
situation, she does her best to adapt to her new, but strange environment, and, as a result, she
becomes the best geisha in Kyoto. She does the best she can in every situation and constructs her
own destiny by herself.

The best part of the movie is the landscape and costume design. It provides the splendid traditional
party, a spring day with the beautiful cherry blossoms, and the pitch-black night with snow
fluttering to the audience. It also depicts the costume, which is called “Kimono,” with fine lines and
attractive colors. Particularly, the scene, when Sayuri makes her debut, dressed in black with
traditional white-faced red lips and dancing passionately in 30 cm of traditional shoes with
snowstorms and red pollen scattered, creates a breathtaking and fantastic atmosphere. Those
scenes and costumes well express Japan's style in a beautiful and intense way.

On the other hand, there are some negative in

the movie : the script and the actors. As the movie
is directed by an American, most of the script is 
in English. The movie has some simple sentences
inJapanese to express more Japanesy. Also, most
of the actors in the main characters, such as Chiyo
(Zhang Ziyi), Hastumomo (Gong Li), and
Mameha  (Michelle Yeoh), are not Japanese.
Those features can give a sense of unnaturalness
to the audience.
I will recommend this movie to the Western people who want to know about the Japanese culture
and the beautiful landscape of Japan. To the Western people, the Asian culture is still considered
mystic. This movie has enough information about the Japanese culture and fantastic atmosphere
that can attract the people’s attention. Also, it can be recommended to the people who have a
misunderstanding about “geisha.” Many people perceive “geisha” as a prostituted woman.
However, geisha is a concept close to a professional entertainer, who is good at art, such as dance,
music, art, calligraphy, and painting. Their main task is to showcase their skills at social venues
where the men in the upper class gather. This movie can solve those misunderstandings people
may have about geisha.

Overall, the main character, Sayuri, shows not only the beauty of the Japanese culture but also the
attitude, which is doing the best in every situation and constructing her destiny by herself
throughout the movie. Although the actors’ nations and the script with the mixed language may
something seem unnatural, the actors’ overwhelming acting ability can cover those negative
aspects of the movie. To summarize, “Memoirs of a Geisha” successfully delivers the message of the
movie and the beauty of Japanese culture. The strict training and efforts to be a geisha show the
professional consciousness as a geisha and make the movie more impressive. This movie is
attractive, fantastic, and certainly can be a good example of describing Japan.

Published on April 13 2020