The movie ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ is a romantic epic originated from Arthur Golden’s best-selling novel in 1997. The story is set in a mysterious and exotic world before World War II, casting a Japanese child, Sayuri, who is sold to work as a servant in a geisha house. Despite a treacherous rival, Hatsumomo, who nearly breaks her spirit, Sayuri blossoms into the legendary geisha. The reason behind is because Sayuri cannot forget a moment of unexpected kindness she experience at an early age, which sustains her throughout the years of sufferings. In order to be close to the man she love and who is beyond her reach, the only way to her is to become a geisha. The whole movie is narrating the life of Sayuri; how a poor little girl blossoms to a legendary geisha because to pursue her only hope in her life---the man she loves.
This is a melodramatic film full of cherry blossoms and dark streets lit by paper lanterns, where all houses have their own deftly-maintained garden and everyone is dressed to the nines (very impressive and elegance kimono!!!). Besides, the most capturing part to me is the dances and the trainings of Sayuri to become a geisha, which are the beautiful arts that we seldom have the opportunities to appreciate. These are the most well done and successful part in the movie. Apart from these, the story in the movie of love and betrayal seems hardly appropriate to the treatment mainly probably because of the over-emphasizing on the visual scope. The only success is the hatred of Hatsumomo to Sayuri; how she did everything just to destroy the destiny of Sayuri and finally die because of her hatred. Whereas although Sayuri and Ken Wanatabi met at last after a lot of suffer and twist and turns, I did not feel touched at all.
Anyway, the love of Sayuri to Ken Wanatabi in the movie is another special type of love to me, which can be seldom found in the world nowadays. That is a love which you hide very deeply in the heart, but give you the strength to face any difficulties, makes you stronger, and in order to get closer to the man you love, anything terrifying to you will be nothing anymore, just because of him.
It is beautiful.
This is a melodramatic film full of cherry blossoms and dark streets lit by paper lanterns, where all houses have their own deftly-maintained garden and everyone is dressed to the nines (very impressive and elegance kimono!!!). Besides, the most capturing part to me is the dances and the trainings of Sayuri to become a geisha, which are the beautiful arts that we seldom have the opportunities to appreciate. These are the most well done and successful part in the movie. Apart from these, the story in the movie of love and betrayal seems hardly appropriate to the treatment mainly probably because of the over-emphasizing on the visual scope. The only success is the hatred of Hatsumomo to Sayuri; how she did everything just to destroy the destiny of Sayuri and finally die because of her hatred. Whereas although Sayuri and Ken Wanatabi met at last after a lot of suffer and twist and turns, I did not feel touched at all.
Anyway, the love of Sayuri to Ken Wanatabi in the movie is another special type of love to me, which can be seldom found in the world nowadays. That is a love which you hide very deeply in the heart, but give you the strength to face any difficulties, makes you stronger, and in order to get closer to the man you love, anything terrifying to you will be nothing anymore, just because of him.
It is beautiful.
4 comments:
I will go and watch the movie definately.
Thank you very much, Yen Ching, for this richly-detailed, deeply considered review. You characterize the story well in the opening summary. I appreciate the way that you use the historical present tense to relate the story.
I also appreciate your critique.
However, I become lost by some of your analysis. I'm not sure, for example, what you mean by the statement "the story in the movie of love and betrayal seems hardly appropriate to the treatment mainly probably because of the over-emphasizing on the visual scope." I'd like to hear that explained. You also state that the "only successis the hatred of Hatsumomo to Sayuri; how she did everything just to destroy the destiny of Sayuri and finally die because of her hatred." Does that mean that you think the story fails elsewhere? That may be the case, but I'd like to hear why you think so.
The two statements about the love of Sayuri and Ken Watanabe's character also confuse me a bit since one seems to contradict the other.
In any case, thank you for your hard work watching the film and writing this review. I admire your efforts!
Hi Ching, I like the part when you mentioned "That is a love which you hide very deeply in the heart, but give you the strength to face any difficulties, makes you stronger, and in order to get closer to the man you love, anything terrifying to you will be nothing anymore, just because of him. " I hope I will get to find this strength(hee.. of cos by finding the "man" first) and you too ! (:
For the reply to Mr Blackstone, i actually want to said that the movie have over emphasized the visual scope, for example, lot of beautiful kimonos and gorgeous dancings, and have neglected the description of the emotion part(love and betrayal)between the actor and actress. The only success in the description of the emotions is the hatred and jealousy of Hatsumomo towards Sayuri. I will not say the story has failed but not very well done in the description of the emotions part. The visual part is still successive !
Besides, the story also confused me about the relationship of Ken Wanatabe and Sayuri but i think the author is talking about the love without any boundary. U may find it out when you watch this movie :)
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