Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

Perceptions are often fascinating. Take the perception of the Geisha in America. Because of American soldiers who occupied Japan, post world war 2, we perceive a geisha to be a Japanese prostitute. That is not true. A geisha is an artist, a trained entertainer and conversationalist whose time is purchased by clients in need of a business facillitator. A geisha provides companionship of the highest order.

Another interesting perception involves the movie Memoirs of A Geisha. When Steven Speilberg was attached, as the films director, Memoirs of A Geisha was perceived as a massive romantic epic that would no doubt compete for the highest honors in the industry of film.

When Speilberg stepped aside for director Rob Marshall the perception became smaller in scale and the film felt lacking in grandeur and epic scope. This is despite the fact that Mr. Marshall is an Oscar nominated director whose Chicago won Best Picture. Rob Marshall isn't Steven Speilberg and because of that the perception of Memoirs of A Geisha is as a film that Steven Speilberg could not find the time to direct.

It's a pity because Marshall's Memoirs of A Geisha, while slick and stylized, is also heart rending at times and sumptuously beautiful, framed by a lovely and compelling performance by star Ziyi Zhang.

Chiyo (Zhang) was not born to be a geisha. Born in a fishing village in a rickety shack on the edge of a cliff, she was destined to be a wife and mother to a fisherman husband. However, when her mother became ill she and her sister were sold and Chiyo ended up in a geisha house.

A spirited child, Chiyo was not willing to simply accept the life of a geisha. It is not until she experiences a rare act of kindness from a stranger known as the Chairman (Ken Watanabe) that the life of a geisha becomes a real possibility. One day while Chiyo is crying over the loss of her sister, who was sold into prostitution and soon after disappeared, she meets the Chairman who dries her tears and brings the first smile to her face since the loss of her parents. Seeing that the chairman is accompanied by a pair of beautiful geishas, Chiyo decides that she will one day become a geisha so that she may win his heart.

Soon Chiyo has become Sayuri and under the guidance of Mameha (MicheleYeoh), a legendary geisha, Sayuri becomes the most celebrated geisha in all of Japan. This happens at the expense of Hatsumomo (Li Gong) who Chiyo/Sayuri had been servant to throughout her childhood and now has become her chief rival.

Adapted from the best selling novel by Arthur Golden, Memoirs of A Geisha is a story rich in characters and settings. Rob Marshall and writer Robin Swicord craft a loving portrait of the geisha that serves at once to correct misperceptions of the geisha and tell the story of a spirited girl who becomes a fierce, intelligent and beautiful woman.

The key is Ziyi Zhang's performance which fleshes out a character that in the wrong hands could have been carried away by the currents of such a broad character arc, one that covers more than 30 years of life. Zhang brings a depth of emotion to the character that is more than palpable, it comes off of her in waves.

Even as the sociologist in me was questioning the films feminism, I was carried away by Zhang's performance. The performance does not quiet all of my questions of this story's worthiness of being told, but it goes along way toward making me forgive many of my problems with it.

Despite the beauty and emotion brought about by Ziyi Zhang's performance I cannot escape the films many anti-feminist underpinnings. Sayuri is never the equal of any man in the film. Everyone from the chairman to his partner to a lecherous American army colonel, played by Ted Levine, are always seen as superior to Sayuri because she must always do as they say.

This is a societal thing, the film is of its time in which woman were all considered second class citizens in Japan. The problem is that the film offers no criticism of this situation, it merely presents it as a framework for the romance between Sayuri and the chairman. A more feminist take would rage against this inequity, in the very least it would offer veiled, subtextual criticisms. But the film remains historically remote in deference to the romance which I'm sure director Rob Marshall and writer Robin Swicord felt was what was most important.

Therein however, lies another problem for the film. This is not that great a romance. The chairman is a married man who pays for the company of woman and while he may long for Sayuri he will still, at the end of the night, return to his wife and children and Sayuri will return to her other paying clients.

This could be meant as tragic and in a better film that tragedy would be presented and be heartbreaking. However, in Arthur Golden's novel and in the film, the choice to be client and geisha is seen as a proper romantic compromise. A loving business arrangement between two friends, not exactly the stuff of romantic legend if you ask me.

I must add one final issue I had with Memoirs of A Geisha. Rob Marshall's choice to shoot the film in english instead of Japanese. This controversial choice was lost in the shuffle early on in the films life, subsumed by the controversial choice to cast Chinese actresses in Japanese roles. The choice to shoot in english instead Japanese is a far more offensive choice creatively than the actors ethnicity because it was not a natural choice or one of necesity but a commercial choice.

Fearing that an audience would not come out for a subtitled film, Marshall and company forced their cast to learn english, thus constricting many of the performances behind thick accents. Then from time to time Marshall chooses to lapse into Japanese, such as in the opening scenes shot for no particularly good reason in Japanese.

The film is set in Japan with Japanese characters, culture and history. It should have been shot in Japanese.

As many problems as there are in Memoirs of A Gesha there are plenty of good things. John Williams score, which features the stirring work of both Yitzhak Perelman and Yoyo Ma, is exceptional. This is some of the great composers best work. It may never be as iconic as his Jaws or Star Wars, but may still be his best work ever.

Final

The Oscars affirmed that the the production design and costumes of Memoirs of A Geisha were its true stars. Colleeen Atwood rightfully won an Oscar for her beautiful period costumes and John Myhre's set design was also rightly awarded.

If the story told in Memoirs of A Geisha were as compelling as the music, sets, costumes and Ziyi Zang's starring performance, we would be discussing a historic, epic film that would be revered for ages. However, such beauty in service of something so unfocused and lacking, creates a film that will fade from memory far too soon.