Memoirs of a Geisha

The film opens in a remote Japanese fishing village in 1929, where two sisters, Chiyo and Satsu, are sold by their troubled father to people who place Chiyo in a classy geisha house known as an okiya in Gion and Satsu in a much more vulgar and dangerous district. Chiyo becomes a maid to Hatsumomo, a cold, controlling, and calculating geisha who is instantly jealous of Chiyo's unusual, beautiful eyes and childish innocence. Chiyo is befriended by Pumpkin, another maid at the okiya, but the two are soon driven apart. Chiyo is shown compassion by the Chairman and another, more successful geisha, Mameha, who takes her under her wing as her "little sister," furthering the battle between Chiyo, now called Sayuri, and Hatsumomo. As Sayuri is trained in the art of being a geisha, learning how to walk, talk, dance, and serve (up to a point) in order to please and honor her distinguished male clients, World War II looms on the horizon, threatening to upend Japan and its old ways. Memoirs of a Geisha is a lush, sweeping historical and romantic epic, featuring gorgeous period costumes, primarily the exquisite kimono worn by the geisha. - RottonTomatoes.com

The film was amazing, i had heard great reviews but i never expected to be captivated up until the ver end. What amazing use of cross cultural contexts and the brilliant story telling of this amazing story. If the movie was this good, it poses the question, what of the book?

Memoirs of a Geisha covered almost all aspects of Japanese life, in the town, however i think the only thing missing is was the stark contrast of the sheer poverty in the town. Even now poverty is rampant in developing Asian countries and it is my opinion that the contrast of the poverty to the Geisha house would have added a new level of depth to the film.

One of my favourite lines from the film can be found on the IMBD website:

Sayuri Nitta:

She paints her face to hide her face. Her eyes are deep water. It is not for Geisha to want. It is not for geisha to feel. Geisha is an artist of the floating world. She dances, she sings. She entertains you, whatever you want. The rest is shadows, the rest is secret.

Another one everyone should see.

The Metro One