Memoirs of a Geisha

From the visuals to the drama, this is beautiful to watch and enjoy. But as a descendant of a an actual geisha from this specific time period I can say a lot is omitted. Many people who watch this or read the book original and similar works rely that the original sources are reliable of what the life of a geisha in the early 20th century was like. What is often left out is a bigger picture of Japanese society and culture of the period out side the geisha, the okiya, and the patron. So if there are any history buffs on this matter, these are the questions the movie nor the books really talk about.1. The private lives of the men who hire a geisha. Usually they are married with children. What is their family life like? It's no surprise that the wives know that their husbands are have one or more geisha. The children of these men know as well and often know when dad's come home after a drinking party. What do they think of their father's behavior? Sons and daughters will interpret this differently. Daughters will know this is what married life is like sharing a husband with other women.2. A man who enjoys their time with a geisha doesn't just stay with one geisha, nor with a geisha alone. As you saw in the scene where Chiyo's sister lived, there are prostitutes of different levels as well. A man may sleep with both a geisha and less expensive women of the evening simultaneously and his wife and family know about it. I knew one relative who had his wife serve her husband and his geisha in the home estate. Also the wife's brothers may also be seeing geisha. In some cases a man might ask his own brother-in-law to join him in his affair. This can be hard on the wife when her own brother is actively financing her husbands affairs, again I know this from personal sources.When a man is sleeping with geisha (remember a danna after a mizuage will have sexual liaisons with his geisha) can also sleep with prostitutes and get STD which he can pass to his wife, his geisha, and of course he himself and everyone ends up needing medical treatment...and who pays for it? Yeah it happens. And of course the physicians like Dr. Crab knows all about it and kind of has power of his wealthy patients, imagine the implications. Also, many Japanese died of the tuberculosis epidemic during this time, both men and women, and there was no antibiotics until after WWII. Almost of all my relatives of the time contracted TB and some died some lived regardless of their class.3. The school scene where Chiyo and Pumpkin are sent to "geisha school". Sorry, this is not their only training. Geisha also learned to read and write and basic math and for that sometimes they went to public school with regular children. They were also dressed and groomed so the fact they lived in a okiya and not with their family was obvious to their classmates and their teachers. It's no big surprise that it would be an isolating experience at best.4. Between the low level prostitutes and the geisha are layers of businesses that offered sex for money, for example the "kashi-zashiki". Sometimes these can be run by a family with children, like a tavern with extra rooms and resident ladies who catered to clients in-house, with the owner's children and grandparents all in the same household.5. Japanese society in general looked down on the women who entertained American GIs like Pumpkin. During the war, some these new geisha became businesswomen and used their American contacts either as wives or patrons to start their own business, often as restaurant owners outside of Japan. Chiyo could be one of these.6. We see Chiyo's story end happily but what happens to retired aging geisha after WWII when the old way becomes illegal? What happens when geisha have children? What is the perspective of children if they are even told that they are children of geisha. What is their life like growing up, getting married. Remember, if Chiyo had a child, official documents are kept in the "yakusho" showing lineage. What is the relationship of a geisha's children with the wife's children and knowing the father is providing for more than one family?You get the picture. This is a good movie and a well crafted story. But it hardly gives a complete picture of the geisha's image by women and men at the time. Today, women choose to become geisha and they are in control of their lives. And the books that talk of geisha's life gloss over the extended family details mostly because those who lived at the time of Chiyo/Sayuri are long dead and gone. Researchers and writers often don't have access to the descendants of these danna/patrons and their wives and family circle so the accounts tend to be limited to a few aged geisha who were probably quite young during the Taisho/early Showa and willing to talk. Basically any geisha story without input from the men's wives and children are incomplete - as one of those descendants, I can attest to that.

Seriously entertaining and educational...

I love this movie it’s definitely my fav.

This movie was in perfect playing condition.

Great story, heart breaking. Must watch good film.

My wife read the book and loved it so we both watched the movie. Glad I did.

One of my favorite movies ever, with two amazing actresses: Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi.!!!

It is one of my favorite movies with historical background.

I have always looked in films for that ability to allow you to escape utterly into its world. This film is a perfect example of a film which has that ability in ample qualities. From the opening music, courtesy of John Williams, with it poetic narration, 'Memoirs of a Geisha' takes us into the heart of life as a geisha in 1930s Japan with great ease and beauty. The cinematography is wonderful throughout as well as the costumes and lighting.The acting is very good although it errs on the side of caution rather too much which sometimes lends the performances a slightly stiff quality. Ken Watanabe is by far the strongest in the cast with a very sensitive and charismatic portrayl as the Chairman. Also, Gong Li is fantastic as the tortured geisha Hatsumomo.The real strength of this film, in my opinion, is that it tells the story so clearly and confidently. So many films have no sense of momentum or direction and it makes a change to have a film that is simply a great tale well told.

I first saw this film when I was 16, and I loved it so much. For me it’s a really great story told by a girl, a sister who was sold from being a pig farmers daughter with her older sister for some money and then sold into a Geisha house.This story is really beautiful, about a young woman and finding herself and who she is as a person but along the way finding love.

A memorable film, detailing the life of a trainee Geisha. The training has an authentic feel of that age and will interest anyone who likes old style Japan. But mainly it is the story of 1 small girls determination to carve her own destiny and ultimately it is a love story. Lovely film

It’s a very good video, a great story, we have watched it more than once. We still have it.

Missed placed mine love the film