Memoirs of a Geisha

Reviewed by Kristina Tiedemann
January 9, 2005

Studio: Sony Pictures Website: www.memoirsofageisha.com MPAA: PG-13 Review Rating: 9.5 out of 10

This movie is based on the best-selling novel, Memoirs of a Geisha, by author Arthur Golden.

Memoirs of a Geisha. Click on image for larger view.

Memoirs of a Geisha takes place in Japan during World War II. As a child, the main character Sayuri (Ziyi Zhang) is sold to an okiya (geisha house) to work as a servant. Enduring hardships caused by a rival geisha, Hatsumomo (Gong Li) remains determined to become a geisha in order to get close to a man (Ken Wantanabe) who treated her with unexpected kindness as a child. Her mentor Mameha (Michelle Yeoh), a famous geisha, allows her to blossom from Chiyo, a nine-year old country girl, into Sayuri, an elegant and even legendary geisha by the time she is twenty. She grows up to become the most famous and sought after geisha of her time, capturing the hearts of many powerful men, but secretly hoping to win the heart of her childhood love.

This movie can be described as a rollercoaster rags-to-riches back to rags story. The story's ups and downs and twists and turns make one wonder what fate Sayuri will meet. The movie is extremely visually pleasing. The perfectly applied makeup and detailed kimonos bring plenty of color and life into the film. The dancing performed by Ziyi Zhang is very artistic and powerful. The musical score, composed by John Williams, is beautiful and even features solo pieces from the famous violinist, Itzahk Perlman, and legendary cellist, Yo-Yo Ma.

Strong and attractive actors play the main characters. Many people might have issues with the fact that Chinese actresses Ziyi Zhang and Michelle Yeoh are depicting Japanese characters. Personally, I have no problem with this. Acting is what an actor does. They are not playing the role of themselves. They are transforming into another person to entertain audiences around the world. Although I feel that each role was played realistically, I did not give the film a “10 out of 10” because of the fact that the film was in English. It is understandable why English was used, but at the same time it takes away part of the illusion one embraces when watching a great Japanese themed movie.

I am confident that director Rob Marshall ( Chicago ) did a magnificent job packing the entire novel into a two-hour movie. Be sure to check out Memoirs of a Geisha before it is out of theaters.