Memoirs of a Geisha

By Nancy Tu Translated by Cara Steenstra Photos by BVI
For specific showing times, please refer to theatre notices.

"Memoirs of a Geisha" is adapted from the best-selling novel of the same name, written by Arthur Golden. The story begins a year before World War II breaks out, when 9-year-old Chiyo is sold into the Gion Geisha District in Kyoto. Popular, successful geisha Hatsumomo (Gong Li) gives Sayuri a hard time at the geisha house they both belong to. Just as Chiyo is considering giving up her geisha training, a chance meeting with the "Chairman" (Ken Watanabe) encourages her to persevere in her studies, as she finally becomes a successful Gion Geisha known as Sayuri (Ziyi Zhang).

Falling in love is taboo for geishas and, with the arrival of war and Japan's subsequent defeat, Sayuri is forced to bury her feelings deep in her heart. It is not until the war is over, when she is invited to reappear, that she finally has a chance to meet the man that she has secretly admired for years.

Many audiences may mistake this film as Japanese when simply looking at its title. However, this is a 100-percent Hollywood commercial feature film adapted from a novel that sold like hotcakes all over the United States and Europe. If you can get over the fact that it is a movie about Japanese geishas, portrayed by Chinese actors speaking in English, then it is not difficult to get into the whole Asian atmosphere of the film, especially with its gorgeous sets and elaborate artistic direction. The beautiful on-screen presence is breathtaking, to say the least and, if you were a fan of "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" and "The Last Samurai", this rich, exotic and colorful film will be just your cup of tea.

As the novel was written by a Westerner, "Memoirs of a Geisha" is, simply put, a movie looking at Japanese geishas through a foreigner's eyes. An author interpreting Eastern characters and stories from a Westerner's point of view runs the risk of being familiar with the subject, but yet not quite cutting into it. Despite misunderstandings of Eastern culture that appear in the film, it is a fascinating portayal that includes the harsh geisha training process, the contrast between a geisha's fabulous public life and her lonely private life, and the choices of the main characters, the beautiful Ziyi Zhang and the charismatic Ken Watanabe. The amalgamation of all these elements is no doubt already enough to satisfy most movie buffs.