Memoirs of a Geisha Review
Posted by Chad Webb on 01.04.2006
A breathtaking look at the Land of the Rising Sun does have its flaws.
Ziyi Zhang: Sayuri
Suzuka Ohgo: Chiyo
Michelle Yeoh: Mameha
Li Gong: Hatsumomo
Ken Watanabe: Chairman
Youki Kudoh: Pumpkin
Koji Yakusho: Nobu
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa: The Baron
Directed by Rob Marshall
Release Date: December 23, 2005
Running Time: 145 minutes
Rated PG-13 for mature subject matter and some sexual content
Reviewed by Chad Webb
Memoirs of a Geisha is packed full with excessive amounts of material that can be carped about. For starters, an uproar of controversy stemmed from the fact that three of the main actresses were Chinese women instead of Japanese. Directors like Steven Speilberg, Spike Jonze, Brett Ratner, and Kimberley Pierce all window-shopped with the idea of making this film, but it was Rob Marshall who finally decided to craft the story. Well, Marshall had to make another film for Miramax, but since this is a DreamWorks film, they worked out a deal. Regardless, Memoirs of a Geisha has a beautiful background and first-rate performances, but suffers from minor nuisances that prevent it from exposing the potential that is obviously buried somewhere underneath the surface.
It is 1929 in a small fishing village; a young nine-year-old girl named Chiyo (Suzuka Ohgo) is sent away from her house to Kyoto's Gion district where she resides in a geisha house. Her striking appearance and gorgeous eyes immediately provoke jealousy into the head geisha name Hatsumomo (Li Gong). From the start, Chiyo is the outcast after being subjected to the spite and harsh treatment from Hatsumomo and the owners of the house. She becomes a slave to the owners, and she felt there was no hope until she met the kind Chairman (Ken Watanabe). She prays that one day she will see the Chairman again, and that her dream of transforming into a geisha will be realized. Eventually her prayers come true when Hatsumomo's rival Mameha (Michelle Yeoh) takes Chiyo as her protégé. As a teacher, Mameha educates Chiyo to the life of a geisha by training her with all the necessary skills such as music and dancing. Her name is then changed to Sayuri (Ziyi Zhang), who ends up being one of the most popular geisha's ever. As Sayuri enters the world of the geisha, she faced with multiple new challenges as she continues to find a pathway closer to the Chairman.
Entrancing the screen at every turn with exquisite beauty and tremendously promising acting is Ziyi Zhang. As Sayuri, she is young woman who has struggled her whole life to be someone. She is tender, benevolent, and intelligent, but she knows that the best way to exhibit her talents is through geisha training. Zhang's depiction is so meticulous and precise with every movement and every line delivered, that any doubt whether or not the correct actress received the part evaporates from the mind quicker than a hiccup. Even more satisfying is the amazingly accurate conversion of nine-year-old Chiyo, played by Suzuka Ohgo, to the lovely and mature Sayuri, performed by Ziyi Zhang herself. They genuinely look a like, which renders the casting department a good pat on the back.
Reuniting with Ziyi Zhang from 2000's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is Michelle Yeoh, presenting herself as the wise veteran geisha named Mameha, who is desperate for Sayuri to stun audiences. Yeoh's grace and sensible behavior cause her to be a protective guardian or parental figure for Sayuri. Just enough incite inside the meaning of geisha's is found when Yeoh provides magnificent lines such as "Remember, Chiyo, geisha are not courtesans. And we are not wives. We sell our skills, not our bodies." The main over dramatic blemish, portrayed by Li Gong as Hatsumomo, is ground for viewers to roll their eyes with her over the top utterances to Chiyo. She does not possess one good bone in her body, and that is increasingly frustrating to watch.
Perhaps the novel with the same name by Arthur Golden delves deeper into political realm of the geisha, but that would have translated poorly to the screen with a far too long running time. Director Rob Marshall extracts an adequate amount of the geisha significance that results in sufficient interest for the moviegoer. This latest effort by Marshall is very reminiscent of his previous film Chicago in 2002. That was a musical, but it dealt with the determined and relentless pursuit of young women in their quests of reaching stardom in the performing arts. The crew of Memoirs of a Geisha reveal spot on technique in every facet from the costume design to the score, and particularly the set design. John Myhre and Gretchen Rau overwhelm the eyes with a profusion of colorful gardens and the grandeur of the detailed Japanese Gion district, that carry an ambiance of a film that is nearly a masterwork.
The simplicity of the plot does not hurt the film, but it does permanently plant the final rating in neutral. Similar problems arose in this picture that occurred recently in 2005's North Country with Charlize Theron. Like Theron's character, it is so obvious that Marshall wants the audience to feel incredibly sorry for Sayuri, and it develops into an uncomfortable feeling for viewers. John Williams score is a vastly impressive addition to the picture, but Memoirs of a Geisha offers ineffective doses of emotion to further expand the character development. It might not be everything it was hyped up to be, but the film has a vividly attractive story line, while providing rich and pensive representations from its role-players.
As it steadily unfolds, I observed ample moments of entertainment, but that entertainment could have flourished with some extra zing to the base. It could have easily been the best foreign film of the year if subtitles were utilized. Understandably, Rob Marshall wanted the film to have a large audience and high box office numbers. If this receives Oscar nominations, it will be in categories like costume design and cinematography, which would be justly deserved. Memoirs of a Geisha establishes its strategy early on, and any damaging blows to the film vanish due to improvements elsewhere. There is a certain mystery to the meaning of a geisha, but even though the mystery exists at the conclusion, that broadens the enticement of the film. I enjoyed that aspect of the movie, and even as I ponder more of this history, Memoirs of a Geisha ultimately falls into the pit of ordinary.
The 411: I expect that this DVD will have a great documentary on geisha’s, which will make it worth buying. Memoirs of a Geisha is well worth seeing in the theater for all of its beauty, acting, and yes, even its story. It operates as a suitable introduction to a part of history that many probably did not know existed. To the casual moviegoer, this will be a wonderful experience, but others might request just a bit more. Anyway I liked it, and I recommend seeing it.
