Cast/Characters:

Ziyi Zhang – Sayuri/Chiyo
Micelle Yeoh – Mameha
Gong Li – Hatsumomo
Youki Kudoh – Pumpkin
Ken Watanabe – The Chairman
Koji Yakusho – Nobu
Suzuka Ohgo – Young Chiyo


Rob Marshall (Chicago) brings Arthur Golden’s bestselling novel to the big screen. It’s a fictional story about a geisha called Sayuri that chronicles her life from her childhood to her life as a geisha. Like the book it doesn’t shy away from depicting the harsh realities of a geisha’s life. It was something that I always fond fascinating when reading Golden’s novel, but here I see it with superb cinematography.

Chiyo a young girl from a poor fisherman village is sold off to an okiya (geisha house). At first she despises her new home after being constantly mistreated by the head geisha Hatsumomo and looses hope of having a promising future. One day while contemplating on what her life has become, she meets The Chairman who tries to cheer her up and the small act of kindness propels her determination to become a geisha so that she may have a chance for a place in his world.

After reading the book I had to see the movie and I wasn’t disappointed. But I have to credit it for the beautiful visuals, which I love to savor even if the story and acting are well under standards. While nothing beats the original novel in terms of the story, the movie stands alone as a visually stunning piece. From set designs to costume it was a surreal movie to watch. I loved the painted world that we are brought to, right when the movie starts all the way to when the movie ends. It sticks to the major plot points of the novel with some slight changes, but nothing that would dramatically change the story.

The actor that really stood out for me was Suzuka Ohgo who played young Chiyo in the beginning of the film. She really came across, sometimes better then the other actors, in the film. I like how her face was so expressional that you don’t even need her to speak the lines to know what she is trying to say. For a young girl who didn’t even speak English she gave a brilliant performance.

That’s not to say that the rest of the cast were terrible. The entire cast did a great job; especially the one’s who don’t speak English. I was convinced that they knew English and was surprise to hear that they don’t from the featurettes, like Koji Yakusho as Nobu. Gong Li was intense with her role as the villainous Hatsumomo, though her character gave off such a cliché act, that you know she’s the main villain. But it wasn’t her fault so much as the scripts. Ken Watanabe, Michelle Yeoh, and Youki Kudoh were all great with their respective characters. The way that they looked and act was what I pictured the characters was like in the book. Ziyi Zhang was good, but not great. I admit that I was somewhat disappointed in that regard after seeing her in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, her performance there blew me away. This is her first English speaking film so I’m not going to rebuke her on her performance because she wasn’t bad, but she could’ve done so much better with what she’s shown us in her other movies. Nonetheless I was impressed by her snow dance scene where she had to walk in 12 inch platforms without slipping off the narrow stage. I give her props for that.

If you’ve read the book, then you know what happens. If you didn’t, then just be prepared to leave western ideas behind. It’s highly debated if a geisha is or is not a prostitute. It walks a fine line in that regard because of our own ideas of what is considered a prostitute. For a full understanding you’ll have to dive into the history of the geisha and the time period which they inhabited. I was also a little confused in that regard since they do sell off their virginity to the highest bidder in the movie, but after I watched a documentary on it, it explained a lot of the questions that I had and they have reasonable explanations for all of them. So generally they don’t sell their bodies because they are primarily entertainers, mostly for men. But other people would say they’re escorts then and the debate could rage on and on. I would say leave your western ideas behind you because in the east they don’t think that way. And while it’s strange for men to seek company without sex at the end of the night, it’s plausible.

The production was to die for. If you’re a visual junkie like me then this movie is great to just soak in all the wonderful and beautiful scenes of Japan. The creators created the whole Gion geisha district right in California, since 1930’s Japan is practically obsolete in the motherland. I thought that the costumes (though not accurate) were quite beautiful and seemingly to make us understand why geishas were considered the supermodels and stars of their time, even if our western taste go for something a little different then painted white faces and square shape bodies. Overall, while not as great as the book itself it’s just a stunning movie to enjoy.


Special Features:

-11 behind the scenes featurettes

Sayuri’s Journey: From the Novel to the Screen
The Road to Japan
Geisha Bootcamp
Building the Hanamachi
The Look of a Geisha
The Music of “Memoirs”
A Geisha’s Dance
The World of the Geisha
The way of the sumo
Director Rob Marshall’s story
A day with Chef Nobu Matsuhisa
Chef Nobu recipes

-Photo Gallery

-Audio commentary with Director Rob Marshall and Co-Producer John Deluca
-Audio Commentary with the Costume Designer, Production Designer, and Editor


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening