Memoirs of a Geisha (film)

Memoirs of a Geisha
Memoirs of a Geisha
	Movie poster for Memoirs of a Geisha
Directed by	Rob Marshall
Produced by	Lucy Fisher; Steven Spielberg; Douglas Wick
Starring	Zhang Ziyi; Ken Watanabe; Gong Li; Michelle Yeoh; Youki Kudoh; Suzuka Ohgo
Music by	John Williams (composer); Yo-Yo Ma (performer)
Distributed by	Sony Pictures Releasing (USA, Singapore, Netherlands); Buena Vista International (UK, Japan); Warner Bros. (Germany, Switzerland); DreamWorks (other areas)
Release dates	December 9, 2005 (USA)
Running time	144 min.
Language	English
Budget	US$85 million

Memoirs of a Geisha is an Academy Award-winning movie adaptation of the novel of the same name, produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment and directed by Rob Marshall. It was released in the United States on December 9, 2005 by Columbia Pictures, DreamWorks and Spyglass Entertainment. It starred Zhang Ziyi, Ken Watanabe, Gong Li, Michelle Yeoh, Youki Kudoh, and Suzuka Ohgo. (In reality, Kudoh, Ohgo, and Watanabe are Japanese, while Zhang and Gong are Chinese, and Yeoh is Malaysian of Chinese descent.) Ohgo plays the younger Sayuri in the movie, which was filmed in southern California and in several locations in Kyoto, including the Kiyomizu-dera temple and the Fushimi Inari-taisha shrine.

The Japanese release of the film is titled "SAYURI".

The DVD release of the film occurred on March 28, 2006.

Plot

Template:Spoiler It is 1929 in Japan. At the beginning of the film, nine-year-old Chiyo Sakamoto and her older sister Satsu Sakamoto are sold by their father and dying mother to a Mr. Tanaka. Satsu is sold to a brothel and Chiyo is sold to an okiya, a geisha house, the Nitta okiya.

In the okiya, Chiyo meets the only resident geisha, an extremely beautiful but cruel woman named Hatsumomo. She also meets the three mistresses: Granny, an elderly retired geisha, Mother, who is also the okiya's treasurer, and Auntie, Mother's "older sister", the only one of the three who is actually nice to Chiyo. She also meets a girl her age, nicknamed Pumpkin. They eventually start schooling to be geisha together.

Because of her extraordinary eyes, Chiyo has great potential as a geisha, but Hatsumomo cannot tolerate rivals, and so uses her status in the okiya to abuse Chiyo. Once, Hatsumomo tells Chiyo that Satsu had once come to look for her, but Chiyo has to work for the information. After being made to ruin a kimono of Hatsumomo's bitter rival Mameha, Chiyo finds out where Satsu is, and they plan to run away together, but Chiyo fails in her attempt and stays in the okiya.

An encounter with a man called the Chairman changes Chiyo's life forever. Chiyo realizes her destiny is to be a geisha, and it comes true when Mameha herself visits the okiya again to talk about training Chiyo to be a geisha. Soon, Chiyo becomes Mameha's younger sister and protege, and eventually becomes what she always wanted to be: a geisha. It is marked by a new name: Sayuri.

Since meeting the Chairman, a prominent businessman, Sayuri wants to be as close to him as possible. Instead, she must go with Nobu Toshikazu, the Chairman's best friend and savior. They develop a friendship and affection for each other, but Sayuri still desires the Chairman. Mameha tells her that she must be very close to Nobu to mislead Hatsumomo. Eventually, Sayuri's increasing success makes her the daughter of the okiya.

Another man also changes Sayuri's life: a doctor, "Dr. Crab", who becomes her mizuage patron. By this time, Sayuri is the most celebrated geisha in all Gion, and Hatsumomo cannot help but feel more jealous. When Sayuri discovers Hatsumomo in her room, playing with the handkerchief, a fight ensues, and Sayuri's room is burned in the scuffle. Shortly after, Hatsumomo's reputation has been totally destroyed and she leaves the okiya forever.

Sayuri's new stature as the new head of the okiya and the most famous geisha, however, is short-lived. World War II changes the lives of geisha forever. Sayuri's luxurious life is changed into her own dark life, and during the war, she is reduced to a servant, but meets Nobu again, and together they return to Gion, where Sayuri becomes a geisha once more. She meets Pumpkin and the Chairman again, and is introduced to Colonel Derricks (in the book, she meets Japanese Minister Sato).

On an island, Nobu finally tells Sayuri in private he wants to be her danna - the man that funds everything for a geisha. However, Sayuri still has feelings for the Chairman, and she asks Pumpkin to bring Nobu to a place where he will "discover" Sayuri and the Colonel together. However, she brings the Chairman, and tells Sayuri she has taken from Pumpkin the only thing she really wanted, and was repaying it. When Nobu learns of it, he never forgives Sayuri. The Chairman also reveals a revelation: he knew all along that Sayuri was Chiyo, despite Sayuri thinking he did not. It was because of him that Mameha became very interested in Chiyo. The film ends with Sayuri and the Chairman having a romantic stroll along the river, savoring their moments together forever - Sayuri's ultimate dream. Template:Endspoiler

Casting controversy

Some people were upset that central characters in the movie were not played by native Japanese actresses, notably that the lead role is played by a Chinese actress.

While many people are offended by the casting, Korean-Canadian actress Sandra Oh advocates inter-Asian acting. In a recent magazine article (Bust Magazine June/July 2005), she defends her roles as characters of Japanese (e.g. Rick) and Chinese descent by pointing out similar behavior from white actors who play European characters interchangeably:

Ralph Fiennes can play an English person, a German person, a Polish person, a Jewish person. He can play anything, and no one questions him. He is a handsome, Caucasian-looking-ish man. So, to American audiences, Europe looks like that. Europe does not look like that. But that is the image we have been fed for 60 years, so we accept that. But what I have big problems with is when people put those limits on me. I just think, "Give me a fucking break. You have no idea what I am." Because when you meet someone, you never say, "I met Joe Schmoe, and he's Irish-French." But there always has to be a quantifier or qualifier when it comes to me. --Sandra Oh, Bust Magazine

Roger Ebert has also pointed out that the film was made by a Japanese-owned company, and that Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi outgross any Japanese actress even in the Japanese box office^[1].

In China, the casting of ethnic Chinese actors caused a stir in the Chinese Internet community where some users were unhappy due to rising nationalist sentiment, especially because some mistook geisha for prostitutes. A profession similar to that of the geisha existed in imperial China, whose job it was to entertain male guests with their talents in music, Go, calligraphy, painting and other arts. However, they did not enjoy the status accorded to geisha in Japan. This was exacerbated by the word geigi 芸妓, a Japanese name for geisha used in the Kansai region (Kyoto). The second character 妓 can be understood by some to mean "prostitute", though it actually had a variety of meanings.

Premieres

Banned in the People's Republic of China

The film was originally scheduled to debut in cinemas in the People's Republic of China on February 19, 2006, but the release was put on hold. Newspaper sources, such as the Shanghai-based Oriental Morning Post and the Shanghai Youth Daily, quoted the fears that the film may be banned by censors; there were concerns that the casting of Chinese actresses as geishas could rouse anti-Japan sentiment and stir up feelings over Japanese wartime actions in China, especially the use of Chinese women as forced sex workers^[2]. On February 1, 2006, the film was declared banned in theaters of the People's Republic of China^[3]. Many citizens can watch it through pirated DVDs^[4].

Box office

The film had a lukewarm reception critically and financially in the States managing only $57.0 million during its box office run. However, this total was accumulated on just 1,654 screens, which meant the film would probably have made $100 million had it opened in the 3,000 theatre range. During its first week in limited release the film screening in only 8 theatres clocked up a $85,313 per theatre average which made it second in highest per theatre averages behind Brokeback Mountain for 2005. Its non-US run proved more successful. As of April 8 2006, the international gross stands at $157.7 million.

In the Netherlands, the film grossed over € 668.324 (as of May 17).^[5]

Trivia

On a recent visit to Tokyo to promote the film, Zhang Ziyi received a mysterious parcel and letter, revealed to have been sent by an elderly Japanese woman who had once worked as a geisha. In her letter, the woman stated that she had been touched by the trailer of the film and expected the movie to bring back fond memories for her and her friends. Inside the parcel were several exquisitely worked antique kimono. Zhang Ziyi was moved to tears by the gesture and sent the woman an invitation to the film's Japanese premiere^[6]
Zhang Ziyi (Sayuri) and Michelle Yeoh (Mameha) had previously co-starred in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Suzuka Ohgo (Young Chiyo) had previously worked with Ken Watanabe (The Chairman) in a Japanese language film in which he played her father, and Watanabe recommended Ohgo to Rob Marshall.

Differences in the novel

Template:Spoiler

Nobu has only one arm, yet he has not lost a limb in the movie. His face still remains scarred, though.
In the book it is frequently said that maids also live in the Okiya along with the protagonists, while in the movie, maids are never even hinted, Chiyo/Sayuri and Pumpkin seem to be the only maids.
The fire scene (Sayuri's room bursts into flame after a scuffle between her and Hatsumomo) that leads to Hatsumomo's downfall doesn't happen in the book. The book portrays the downfall of Hatsumomo as a slow downward spiral culminating with a final push from Mameha and Sayuri. In the novel, it is rumoured that Hatusmomo ended up being a prostitute, while in the movie her fate is never mentioned. The last one sees of her is when she leaves the okiya after Sayuri and Mother put out the fire.
In the book, Sayuri does not discard the Chairman's handkerchief, which is how she finally reveals her true identity to the Chairman. In the movie, it is almost burned when Hatsumomo puts it above a candle, leading to the fire scene when Sayuri stops her. After Pumpkin betrays her, Sayuri lets it fly away in the wind.
Hatsumomo's cruel nickname for Chiyo/Sayuri, "Little Miss Stupid", is not used in the film, nor is Pumpkin's geisha name, Hatsumiyo.
In the book, it is Sayuri who gives Pumpkin her nickname, but in the film, Auntie and Mother and already calling her by that name when Sayuri arrives at the Okiya.
In the film, it isn't revealed how Granny dies. Instead, it is said that she has passed away when Mameha arrives at the okiya to discuss Chiyo's geisha training with Mother. In the book, she actually is killed from electrocution by a heater ironically sold to the okiya by the Iwamura Electric Company, which later provides Mameha an opportunity to approach Chiyo.
The transitions between the different stages of a geisha's career are rushed in the film; the mizuage does not signify the 'graduation' from maiko to geisha in the book, whereas it does in the film - after her mizuage, when Sayuri returns to the okiya, Mother tells her she is a full geisha now.
Little mention is made in the film of Sayuri's career as a full geisha.
In the book, Sayuri and her sister are sold off after Chiyo runs into Mr. Tanaka Ichiro, a man whose family owned a store called the Japan Coastal Seafood Company. Struck with awe at her eye color, Mr. Tanaka convinces Chiyo's father to sell his two daughters. The movie skims over these details, and skips to the part where the two girls are torn from their family in the beginning of the film at night in Yoroido.
In the novel, the man Nobu introduces to Sayuri is a Japanese Minister, Sato. Minister Sato is substituted for Colonel Derricks in the film.
In the novel, it is unclear as to whether or not Mameha learns of the Baron's undressing of Sayuri, whereas she openly does in the film.
In the novel, Sayuri actually has two danna, though not at the same time: General Tottori and then the Chairman. Sayuri eventually joins the latter in New York City, permanently residing there and running a teahouse while the Chairman comes and goes. It is even hinted that Sayuri has a son with her beloved Chairman, whose identity must be kept secret for business reasons.
When she falls off the roof of the okiya after attempting to run away with Satsu, Chiyo is not beaten. In fact, Auntie stays with her while she is lying in bed and reads Mr. Tanaka's letter. However, she does get beaten when Hatsumomo accuses her of stealing money, just before Mother slaps Hatsumomo for having a boyfriend in the okiya.
Instead of Granny who usually does the beating, Mother does it. As usual, Auntie interferes, so Chiyo does not get beaten very badly.
When Mother and Auntie learn of Mameha's kimono being ruined, Mother pours a bucket of water on Chiyo before beating her badly. Auntie then takes over the beating so that Chiyo does not suffer the same fate as her. In the novel, the bucket of water is poured over Chiyo during her runaway attempt.
When Sayuri embarrasses Hatsumomo, the joke is not about her hair. Instead, when Hatsumomo says 'I was a maiko myself once', Sayuri responds by saying, 'Of course, but it's been such a very long, long, long, long time..'
When Sayuri has to cut herself to be able to talk with Dr. Crab, she and Mameha do the wounding themselves whereas Mameha recruits a maid and the cook from her old okiya to help her create a wound on Sayuri's leg.
Even before Mameha visits Mother to talk about Chiyo's training, Pumpkin has already become a maiko while in the book, Pumpkin has yet to become a maiko.
Mameha's mizuage cost ¥10,000 in the movie. In the book, Sayuri's mizuage cost ¥10,500, but it is ¥15,000 in the movie.
In the book, Chiyo/Sayuri is the year of the monkey, but in the movie, she is the year of the rooster.
In the movie, after World War II, Pumpkin is influenced by American culture already - she drinks sake a lot, speaks like an American, and enjoys jazz music.
The film does not end with Sayuri migrating to New York with the Chairman. Instead, the ending ends with she and the Chairman kissing and strolling together along the river.
In the novel, when Hatsumomo is trying to get Chiyo thrown out of the okiya for stealing, she plants money on her, and then claims Chiyo has stolen her obi brooch, only for the brooch to be found hidden years later. In the film, there is no brooch.