Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

[TheBoss062]

Originally Posted by nycomet

Is it a chick flick?

I know this reply and the others are old but I just wanted to put in my two cents. Not every drama film or period piece or any film that features a female lead is a chick flick by default. This is a slow moving period piece drama with the romance serving as a subplot. Having read the book I can say it is completely far from what you'd call a woman's romance novel.

[shinobipopcorn]

I don't like to be one of "those types", but the Japanese dub on the Sayuri DVD makes this a better movie. Zhang Ziyi is a pretty actress but her English takes you out of the film.

[TheBoss062]

Originally Posted by shinobipopcorn

I don't like to be one of "those types", but the Japanese dub on the Sayuri DVD makes this a better movie. Zhang Ziyi is a pretty actress but her English takes you out of the film.

She's Chinese so I imagine it's the fact that she probably wasn't fluent in English yet. The fact that she also probably doesn't speak Japanese was an issue that arose with the awkward mixed race casting which caused that infamous backlash. They should have just gone with Steven Spielberg's original idea with an authentic Japanese setting with the spoken language. That being said, 20th Century Japan was accurately recreated enough in the film.

[HarryPotterGrl10]

I would love a UHD release of this (also Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette and Easy A.) Sony stinks at releasing UHD. A lot of studios do. But I'm happy Harry Potter, Cinderella 2015 (Disney) and The Little Mermaid are at least on it.

[bookcase]

Holy thread resurrection! I haven't thought about this movie since I saw it in the theater. All I remember about it is how it paled (putting it kindly) in comparison to the book, which is one of my favorites. I may revisit it if I can find it streaming somewhere.

[TheBoss062]

Originally Posted by bookcase

Holy thread resurrection! I haven't thought about this movie since I saw it in the theater. All I remember about it is how it paled (putting it kindly) in comparison to the book, which is one of my favorites. I may revisit it if I can find it streaming somewhere.

I think the book might work as a TV series if any studio was so inclined.

[TravisTylerBlack]

A UHD of this film could be jaw dropping. IMO the snow dance sequence is one of the most beautifully photographed scenes in modern cinema.

[TheBoss062]

Originally Posted by TravisTylerBlack

A UHD of this film could be jaw dropping. IMO the snow dance sequence is one of the most beautifully photographed scenes in modern cinema.

This film is indeed a visual marvel.

[McCrutchy]

The Memoirs of a Geisha Blu-ray is currently down to just $6.99 on Amazon.com, possibly the lowest ever price. They may be price-matching, but many other retailers are out of stock on this title, so I don't know who it could be.

Click the image to order:

[Rockercub]

That's a great price! I already have it, but still haven't watched it. I plan to correct that though, as I've just pulled out and ordered a bunch of Michelle Yeoh movies. Hopefully, I'll have time to watch them all before the Oscars next month.

[TheBoss062]

I hope that the source novel gets a new adaptation. I’d like to see a TV series, it could adapt material from the novel that was left out of the film, but it’s wishful thinking since this story in general is too controversial.

[Rockercub]

I finally gave it a watch and really enjoyed it. I get all the criticism, but for me, it played as sort of a toned down Japanese version of Showgirls. And all the artifice just adds to that sort of a camp read.

[TheBoss062]

Originally Posted by Rockercub

I finally gave it a watch and really enjoyed it. I get all the criticism, but for me, it played as sort of a toned down Japanese version of Showgirls. And all the artifice just adds to that sort of a camp read.

Ironically, 3 out of the 4 geisha are played by Chinese actresses.

[Rockercub]

Originally Posted by TheBoss062

Ironically, 3 out of the 4 geisha are played by Chinese actresses.

I remember that being a big issue back when it came out. I'm not sure why I didn't see it back then. Gong Li, Zhang Ziyi, and Michelle Yeoh are all favorites of mine.

[TheBoss062]

Originally Posted by Rockercub

I remember that being a big issue back when it came out. I'm not sure why I didn't see it back then. Gong Li, Zhang Ziyi, and Michelle Yeoh are all favorites of mine.

Youki Kudoh was the only main Geisha actually played by a Japanese actress.

They tried to audition Japanese actresses for these parts but none of them agreed because they felt they couldn't do justice to these historically important roles, so they went with marketable Chinese actresses instead. You can imagine this is going to re-open old wounds due to the historical tensions between China and Japan post-WWII.

[Rockercub]

Originally Posted by TheBoss062

Youki Kudoh was the only main Geisha actually played by a Japanese actress.

They tried to audition Japanese actresses for these parts but none of them agreed because they felt they couldn't do justice to these historically important roles, so they went with marketable Chinese actresses instead. You can imagine this is going to re-open old wounds due to the historical tensions between China and Japan post-WWII.

And then add that it's directed by an American white guy from a script written by an American white woman adapted from a book written by an American white guy. Not that I think people need to stick within their race, nationality, gender, etc., when it comes to storytelling, but that's really stacking the deck for a subject steeped in Japanese culture.

[TheBoss062]

Originally Posted by Rockercub

And then add that it's directed by an American white guy from a script written by an American white woman adapted from a book written by an American white guy. Not that I think people need to stick within their race, nationality, gender, etc., when it comes to storytelling, but that's really stacking the deck for a subject steeped in Japanese culture.

If people did that, then we wouldn't have gotten The Outsiders (written by a woman), Carrie (written by a man), or Harry Potter (written by a woman). It's the execution that matters.

[Rockercub]

Originally Posted by TheBoss062

If people did that, then we wouldn't have gotten The Outsiders (written by a woman), Carrie (written by a man), or Harry Potter (written by a woman). It's the execution that matters.

For the most part, I agree. Brokeback Mountain is the one I think of -- directed by a straight Taiwanese guy, screenplay by straight writers, original short story by a straight woman. And as a gay man, I think it turned out very well. But that being said, there is a quibble noted by many gays about the first sex scene (which I won't get into here ). I think there's something to be said about having some level of input from the community being represented.

[Galleon]

The most beautiful movie I have ever seen and a great story.
This is not a Chick flik and definitely not a Cinderella story.

[TheBoss062]

Originally Posted by Galleon

The most beautiful movie I have ever seen and a great story.
This is not a Chick flik and definitely not a Cinderella story.

The novel definitely isn’t at least. The film romanticizes the story and made it more palatable.