A Cinema Review on Memoirs of A Geisha

Nominated for six Academy Awards, and winner of three, Memoirs Of A Geisha holds its own as one of the best films of 2005. Veteran Hollywood screenwriter Robin Swicord does a wonderful job of adapting Arthur Golden’s bestselling novel to the big-screen. This film has all the parts of a classic drama envy, politics, intrigue, banned love, and an abundance of internal conflicts of varying types. Viewers in search of a standard Hollywood smash will be greatly disappointed, but those who appreciate a good character-driven film which takes the time to develop the motivations of its cast and build to a climax will discover a splendid gem which offers a welcome escape from fact. 

Memoirs Of A Geisha is recounted from the perspective of a nine year-old Japanese girl named Chiyo [ Ziyi Zhang ]. Born into a poor fishing family, Chiyo and her sister are sold into slavery by their pa. Chiyo is shortly separated from her sister and finds herself in a geisha house where her new master, Mummy [ Kaori Momoi ], will determine her destiny. Though only 9 years old, Chiyo sparks the ire of the much older Hatsumomo [ Li Gong ], the most celebrated geisha of the house, who accurately perceives Chiyo as a fitting rival. 

Li Gong is glorious in her role as the vindictive, yet human, adversary, and her personality manages to have Chiyo removed from geisha school and sentenced to the life of a common slave. However, Chiyo’s life takes a turn for the better following a chance encounter with The Chairman [ Ken Watanabe ]. Surrounded by 2 geisha, The Chairman extends his kindness to Chiyo, prompting her to develop a lifelong crush and to dream of one day turning into a geisha herself. Chiyo’s wish comes true when a geisha from another house, Mameha [ Michelle Yeoh ], offers to personally educate her, setting up an unavoidable conflict between the two and Hatsumomo and her understudy. Meanwhile, the horrors of war and her lifelong pursuit of The Chairman’s love burden Chiyo with extra difficulties. Though some traditionalists and geisha gurus might take issue with the portrayal of geishas typically, the film actually offers an engaging glance into a world and culture most Americans will find interesting. In spite of its 2 hour and twenty-five minute running time, Memoirs Of A Geisha is an attracting film that seems much shorter in duration. Like most films adapted from a novel, people who enjoyed the book will either love it or hate it depending on how well they understand the switch to the big screen. But even people that hate it must admit the costume and set design are delightful and leave tiny room for improvement. At times, the cast speaks with heavy accents which can be confusing at moments, but generally, the scenes flow well from one to the following. With the exception of some Yankee actors close to the conclusion [ Ted Levine of Monk celebrity plays a US armed forces Colonel ], the bulk of the cast is composed of Chinese and Jap actors / actresses who are comparatively unknown to Yankee audiences although Ken Watanabe could be recognizable given latest roles in The Last Samurai [ 2003 ] and Batman Begins [ 2005 ]. The employment of this cast helps focus audience attention on the merits of the film itself and not on a cast of stars, and this helps, rather than hinders, the film. As such, Memoirs Of A Geisha is a film most fans of the genre will completely enjoy.

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