Sunburnt on Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Since I’m a little worn out from doing my lab report, I shall attempt to write a totally biased review on Memoirs of a Geisha. Do not proceed further if you do not wish to read spoilers (I guarantee there will be many), or do not want to read unfavourable reviews (oops). You have been warned.
First of all, some background information, in case there are still some people who do not understand the previous paragraph. SPOILER ALERT! DO NOT PROCEED FURTHER! Anyway, I’d bought the book when I was in sec. 2 (that was way back in 1998), and since then, Memoirs of a Geisha has easily become one of my favourite books. Never mind that Hideo Asano, upon hearing that, showed me a totally disgusted face. LOL. I was hooked from the beginning; the story of a poor girl who rises to become one of the most prominent geisha of Japan and nabs the heart of her one true love was just about one of the sweetest things to a naive 14-year old. But of course, the naive girl grew up and realized that there is no such thing on earth, but still… it remains one of my favourite novels (I read it more than 30 times I believe). I love it for its simplicity, its prose, its larger-than-life characters and of course, the intriguing code of conduct and training of the geisha.
So when I heard that Steven Spielberg was going to direct this movie, I was ecstatic. Then the project was shelved in favour of other movies, and it wasn’t until Rob Marshall (of Chicago fame) took over the helm that I realize hey, my favourite book is going to materialize into a film! :D
But… the casting has left me disappointed. In the beginning, Maggie Cheung was supposed to play Sayuri. Then Zhang Ziyi was chosen, and the other lead roles of Mameha and Hatsumomo went to Michelle Yeoh and Gong Li respectively. I was flabbergasted. Zhang Ziyi as… Sayuri?! To be honest, I don’t really like her for various reasons, and I didn’t (and still don’t) quite agree with the idea of using Chinese actresses. Besides, those who have read the book would think the cast is far from ideal. True enough, all 3 actresses are beautiful and talented, but… in the book Mameha is described as having a perfect, exquisite oval face, which is the one striking feature about her beauty. One look at Michelle Yeoh and you know she doesn’t fit the role. And Hatsumomo! Where do I begin? Hatsumomo is a superbly beautiful woman, even more than Mameha, with a petite frame and is about 23 years old. Though Gong Li is indeed lovely for her age, I would have preferred to see a younger actress in that role.
Now about the Chairman and Nobu. I have always imagined the Chairman as a kind, reserved middle-aged man who is not particularly handsome, but has a very calm, composed face. At this point of time I must say I like Ken Watanabe a lot, after watching him in The Last Samurai and Batman Begins, but he looks a little too young, and behaves a little too frivolous. Haha. As for Nobu, I’ve always thought of him as physically unappealing (with his grotesquely disfigured face and a missing arm), but with the ability to give a sense of security and well-being to people around him. The Nobu in the show is not too bad (they missed out the missing arm!), but doesn’t stand out as much as he does in the book. I guess, the focus is really on the Chairman and Sayuri, but I do think the unrequited love by Nobu for Sayuri makes the story all the more heartwrenching and lovely.
To the movie’s credit, there are indeed some characters that seemed to have leapt right out of my mind. I am absolutely delighted with the portrayal of Mother, as well as young Chiyo; they are exactly as I’ve always imagined them to be! Kudos to the casting director for finding a girl who resembles Zhang Ziyi, or maybe it’s the eyes. Other than that, the minor characters are rather forgettable: Korin, the ugly geisha (but she’s quite pretty in the show), Pumpkin (Pumpkin has a round face and a slim body, which I only saw in the adult Pumpkin) and the Baron.
Now for the plot. Generally I can say that the movie tries to adhere to the book, with minor changes here and there, but in my opinion, a few key scenes were missed out. First of all, I think it’s weird that Satsu and Chiyo (not yet the Sayuri we know) were so abruptly seized from their house in Yoroido… after all, I do think that Mr. Tanaka’s involvement with the Sakamoto family and the selling of the girls does contribute a large part to Sayuri’s resolve to make it as a famed geisha. When Sayuri first meets the Chairman at the sumo match in the book (in the show she bumps into him at a teahouse when she was still a maid), she thought the Chairman was Mr. Tanaka in fact. Also, Sayuri did have a danna, a General in the Imperial Army but he doesn’t feature much in the book so I guess that’s why he was left out entirely. And if you think Sayuri is this really chaste and faithful woman, let me tell you that she has a lover named Yasuda Akira (who reminds her of the Chairman). Wahahahahaha!
And now for the scenes that were changed, some to my displeasure. Chiyo’s meeting with her sister in the show is quite different from that in the book, as well as the scene where Sayuri charms a man off his bicycle with one look (in the book the man was carrying trays of food instead of being on a bicycle). I don’t like the part where the Chairman comes to save Sayuri and Mameha from the factories; it was in fact Nobu who does that. The Baron doesn’t force himself (or attempts to force himself) on Sayuri at his residence either; all he does was to undress her and Sayuri doesn’t kick up a fuss in the book too. And who said that the man Sayuri seduces in order to force Nobu to give her up at the end is a Caucasian?! Not to mention that the fire scene was totally uncalled for; it’s non-existent in the book. Hatsumomo eventually leaves the okiya and drinks herself to death, but she doesn’t burn down the okiya.
In all, though the show is not quite what I have longed for, it still is enjoyable - if you have not read the book before. For a fan like me, it’s quite difficult not to watch it without thinking of the book, so pardon whatever biased/unfavourable opinion I have of the show. But I have a word of praise for the show: the flow, the music, the general mood is unbeatable. The book reads like a poem, and the show unravels like a dance. It is at once arresting and mesmerizing, until one feels like one has drunk a cup of superior sake from Sayuri’s hand. Nothing more I can ask for from the director, except, perhaps, the abovementioned grouses I have. :P
Nick was out in the sun at
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