You should know the word of "geisha."I suppose it is one of the most popular words which are used to describe Japanese culture by foreign people. Actually, I have been wondering that the meaning of geisha could be taken in a wrong way as if they were just dancers in kimonos even can be like prostitutes, and also feeling strange every time I see "geisha girls" kind of words. However, I cannot explain what a real geisha is, how they live, and who can be one of them. All I know is they are private professionals in traditional dance and their real lives are way beyond my imaginations. Geisha in Japanese means a person of arts: they only sell their talents as arts, never their womanhood. This is pretty much what the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha"(known as "Sayuri"in Japan) is all about. I had borrowed this DVD from my sister and I saw it today.
Two little sisters were teared apart because they were sold to different houses of geisha by their father. ( I thought the situation was similar to "Color Purple", a movie I'd seen before, and it turned out both movies has the same director - Steven Spielberg. ) Obviously, they are too young to be geisha. They serve in the house much like slaves and are trained in dance and discipline in their entire girl life. Of course the movie should be dramatized a lot, but it still touches me. Geisha don't be allowed to have their own lives, even real siblings, and they always have to be symbols of honor.
The leading actress, Ziyi Zhang, was amazing, especially in the scene of her dancing under snow. She seems to have closed sadness inside all the time she acts Sayuri, also beauty and mysteriousness. I'm afraid I have no idea who else can act up Sayuri besides her. Sure Japan has a lot of great actors but only few could lead the world wide show business...the fact that an another woman in the movies who I guessed to be a lesser known Japanese great actress was Chinese lady made me realize it.
Yet, it is enjoyable enough to hear some untranslated or sounds-strange Japanese, and see many Japanese actors (and a sumo wrestler) in Hollywood movie. They might want to polish their English pronunciation a little bit more...I guess. haha. Oh, I know I have no say whatsoever in it.
I loved this movie, although the book was better. I read it about 3-4 years before the movie came out, and so when the movie was made, I was excited. I remember that a lot of Japanese critics disliked the fact that the movie's leading actress was Chinese and not Japanese. A lot of the Japanese newspapers reported on it, and I guess many people didn't understand why it had to be a Chinese actor. But they're forgetting that it's a movie... and the actors act.....the keyword is "acting". It's silly to say that only a Japanese person can play the part of a Japanese character. If the acting is well done, it doesn't matter. That's like saying Morgan Freeman can't play the part of God in "Bruce Almighty" because he's human, and not a god.
ReplyDeleteI still do recommend the book though... if you have the chance to read it.
I do know that I couldn't express even the half of the greatness of this story and used terrible English (I was trying to use new vocabularies)...but thanks so much for commenting. Nice to know you loved the movie and book!
ReplyDeleteI'm totally with you Chris, I mean how stupid the made-in-japan criticism was! Those critics can also complain why real bees don't act in "Bee Movie"...I don't know :) anyway, your "Bruce Almighty" theory is so right. Ironically enough, there is no Japanese actress who could act out in this movie like the Chinese: they are Hollywood movie actors rather than just Chinese.
I'm sure to read the book as you recommended near future!!