BUTTERFLY ROMANCE (Memoirs of a Geisha (DVD))

Member Name: thingywhatsit

Product:	Memoirs of a Geisha (DVD)
Date:	14/02/07 (335 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A wonderful look into the training and lives of Geisha

Disadvantages: May not appeal to all.

I bought both the book and the film at the same time and decided that I would read the book first. However, having read it, cover to cover, found it hard to try and imagine how a film could better the achievement of the book itself, since the pictures conjured up by the written word in this edition were astoundingly detailed, and left the reader with set ideas about the landscape, the characters, and the era covered in the original story by Arthur Golden. I was unsure of how the adaptation by Robin Swicord would work, since the original writer left nothing out. The picture that he painted of the history of a Geisha in the city of Gion was so detailed that before I even started to watch the film, I had preconceptions about both the characters and the backdrop that made the story so complete. The writer didn't use superfluous description. Every word that he wrote added to the picture and it was indeed a complete one, and I had doubts about whether a film could adequately deal with the complex nature of the subject matter.

The story follows the life of Chiyo, a young girl taken away from her home in the fishing village of Yoroido at the age of 8. Here, I was disappointed with the film, and although the opening sequences showing the scene of where Chiyo lived as a child were so accurate to the book, what was missing was to me an important part of the story, in that in the book, the thought patterns of the young Chiyo made crystal clear the growing process of the child, whereas the film skipped many of the details that made a good foundation upon which to base the story.

It covers the lifespan of Chiyo, her training as a Geisha, and all the customs that are attached to the Geisha life, although I am not prepared to tell the story, because that is for the viewer to discover. Following the story through film was an epic experience as it deals with a different perspective of life and the morality behind it. The scenery in the film was a little disappointing in places, since it did not ressemble that which I had imagined from the written work, although in places amazed me. Cherry blossoms and parks, mountains and hillsides were indeed spectacular.

The characters within the film were astonishingly true to the book, with a few weaknesses. The child Chiyo, was played by Suzuka Ohgo, and she was exactly the character I had pictured in the book, and her performance was first rate. Even the description of her within the book was emphasised by the film itself. The character of the Chairman (Ken Watanabe) and the young girl that befrields Chiyo, named Pumpkin by those who knew her (Zoe Weizenbaum), were exactly as I pictured them, although the older Pumpkin (played by Youki Kudoh) didn't come over at all as the characters portrayed within the book and their performances were disappointing, probably because of my own pre-conception of who they were.

Other characters within the story were stunted in places and better described in the book than the film, although this didn't surprise me, since the authors attention to detail was exquisite. Nobu (played by Koji Takusho) was characterized quite well, though Mother, played by Kaori Momoi (the lady who ran the home in which Chiyo spent most of her lifetime) came out as false and not quite old enough to portray the character described in the book. Mameha and Hatsumomo (Michelle Yeoh and Li Gong), the other Geisha characters within the film were strong characterisations, and very well acted indeed. The weaker parts of the production were found within the era of time where Gion was occupied by the Americans, and here, compared with the book, I thought that the movie overplayed the influence of the Americans for cinematic effect.

This is a PG rated film that spans over 139 minutes, and what it achieves is to take the viewer into another world, to open their eyes to another culture, and this it does exceedingly well. The direction of the movie was very clever and extremely sensitively dealt with by director Rob Marshall when comparing with his other epic films (noteably Annie), shows his maturity as a Director.

After comparing the film with the book, the book wins hands down, although the film targets a more universal audience, deals with the subject matter sympathetically, and I believe is an epic film that is worthy of keeping in any romantic collection of movies. I shall certainly be watching it again, as it has depth, meaning, sentiment, history and the enjoyment factor on its side. Comparing with other films of this genre, it really is a winning combination and I loved it, though not as much as the book.

The soundtrack of the film is available, although I have to say that it had little effect on me, and was not as memorable as the movie itself and the pictures that it portrayed.


Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: 5 Jun 2006
Run Time: 139 minutes


Available from Amazon from 5 GBP and astoundingly good value at this price.

Summary: Well worth the viewing, and certainly worth the price