Karnataka - Bangalore   

A visual and aural delight

WORTH A WATCH: Costumes are exquisite in Memoirs of a Geisha

Memoirs of a Geisha (English)

Director: Rob Marshall

Cast: Ziyi Zhang, Ken Watanabe, Michelle Yeoh and Gong Li

If you are looking for a textured, highly sensitised representation of Japanese life and culture, Rob Marshall's Memoirs of a Geisha isn't the film for you. As is the case with much of Hollywood, the film is directed as much by economic considerations as by artistic vision. Which is why the three female leads are all Chinese and Malaysian rather than Japanese, and why all of them speak in English. In fact, Memoirs is not so much a representation of an Eastern way of life as the Western interpretation of life in the Orient. Thus, the characters all sound stilted, the situations all contrived and the cultural context artificial or inaccurate.

Having said that, though, I must add that Memoirs of a Geisha is still very worth a watch simply for its aura of larger-than-life beauty and splendour. Rob Marshall, who made Chicago in 2002, has once again managed to recreate the visual magic that made the 2002 musical such a runaway hit. One cannot watch Memoirs and not be swayed by the charm of the sprawling sets of old Kyoto, the bewitchingly exquisite costumes and the scrupulously patterned ritual movements of the geisha, the sweeping score by John Williams and the soul-stirring cello solos of Yo-Yo Ma. Add to this the passion that burns in Gong Li and the freshness and fluidity that flows from Ziyi Zhang and the result is a fantasy that stirs one's deepest desires. Stripped to its essence, Memoirs of a Geisha is much like the geisha itself, clearly misunderstood. The geisha might seem to many like prostitutes, but are set apart by their trappings, skills and ritualised life. Memoirs, too might seem like a sugary romance, but its lush production ensures that it is so much more.

Rakesh Mehar

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Hospital plans scheme to help poor patients
Protest planned on March 2 against Bush's visit to India
Accused in Madivala case indicates he wants to plead guilty
Power sector targeting higher growth rate
Two-year-old survives risky surgery
Admissions: two committees formed
Citizens bring their burdens to Chief Minister
Youth killed in accident
Change in lifestyle can help diabetics
Police verification in great demand
Extending help to needy musicians
Enjoy this trip, savour the destination
A visual and aural delight
Metro rail: traders seek clarification
Badly done hack-job
Work on projects funded by ADB criticised
Three teachers die in accident
Lorry owners demand waiver of penalty
Around the City
In Bangalore Today

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu