Award-winning novel finds success in Hollywood
Director Rob Marshall's "Memoirs of a Geisha," based on author Arthur Golden's bestselling novel, surely lives up to, if not exceeds, the high expectations of the novel's fans. Its dazzling cinematography combined with its talented actors brings to life the heartwarming tale of a destitute girl who fulfills her dream of becoming the most celebrated geisha of her time.
The story takes place in Miyako, Japan, during the country's 1930 to 1940 depression era. With an ongoing war in Japan, a beautiful nine-year-old peasant girl, Chiyo (Suzuka Ohgo), is sold by her father to a Kyoto geisha house, where she is supposed to learn the arts of a geisha. Unfortunately, her greedy "mother" enslaves Chiyo, forcing her to clean, cook and tend to all of the dirty work around the house. As if her life wasn't bad enough, Hatsumomo (Gong Li), a wicked and sadistic geisha who is jealous of Chiyo's beauty, plots to destroy the innocent girl.
Chiyo's miserable life takes a sudden twist when she is met at a bridge by the kind-hearted, handsome Chairman (Ken Watanabe), who buys her a treat. The Chairman serves as a symbol of kindness that Chiyo wishes to make a permanent part of her life. She immediately falls in love with this man and dedicates her life to becoming the best geisha in town so that she can have him. Her dreams begin to come to life when the generous Mameha (Michelle Yeoh), one of the most famous geishas in Japan, agrees to take her in and transform her into a true geisha.
Eventually, Chiyo develops into a stunning and successful geisha and changes her name to Sayuri (Ziyi Zhang). She is the object of all men's desires, and Mameha has high hopes for Sayuri, which involves the bidding of Sayuri's virginity to a wealthy businessman. Unfortunately, Sayuri desires only one man - the Chairman.
From the beginning, the movie never fails to impress its viewers with the beautiful costuming and cinematography. From the bright and beautiful kimonos to the riveting and exciting dance shows (performed to absolute perfection by the geishas), the scenery presents a very realistic glimpse into 1930s Japan (even though most of the movie was shot in California). The blooming Sakura trees and beautiful, mountainous landscapes in the background bring the viewer into a traditional and authentic Japanese setting. Also, the horrific scenery of the geisha house combined with the sounds of screams and beatings accurately depict the suffering of the women. The gloomy house is a stark contrast to the beautiful outdoor settings, which further emphasizes the horrible and tragic activities practiced by Chiyo's cruel family.
In addition, the actors play a key role in bringing this film to life. It is obvious that Marshall selected the best of the best for his cast. All of the actors were trained to carry the same, traditional Japanese accent and they were all lectured about Japanese culture. In fact, according to an Entertainment Weekly article, the actors spent half a year training to be geishas. Even from the start, little Suzuka Ohgo leaves the viewers in tears with her dramatic acting, as she is sold from her family and forced into a torturous geisha house as a slave. Ziyi Zhang, as the twenty-one-year-old Sayuri, picks up on Ohgo's journey and convincingly pursues the trials and tribulations of a love-sick, hopeless girl to become a master geisha.
Marshall's incredible success with "Chicago" continues with this unforgettable masterpiece. As Sayuri states at the beginning of the movie, "A story like mine has never been told" - and thanks to Marshall, it won't remain a secret anymore.
"Memoirs of a Geisha" (145 minutes, at Bethesda Row Cinema) is rated PG-13 for mature subject matter and some sexual content.
Christine Kim. Though she may look small and unassuming, Christine is actually the most vicious editor on Senior Staff. More »
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