I recently read the novel (as in last week); therefore to me the book overshadowed the movie. The book is an intriguing, delicate piece of artwork full of lots of subtlety. The movie, however, has ripped out some of the more delicate and lovely undercurrent of the book, and it is a pity. They made several changes from the book and I didn't think any of them were necessary or better. But I will concede that if you have not read the novel then the movie is a very lovely and entertaining piece of art.

Plot: This is a story of a young girl Chiyo (Suzuka Ohgo) who is sold by her parents to a Geisha house. First she wants nothing but to find her sister, Satsu, who has also been sold and go home. But after a failed escape, and the death of her parents she resigns to her fate. Which at first, because of her failed escape, is to become a maid. But after a chance meeting with a man called the Chairman, (Ken Watanabe) who shows her some kindness, all she wants is to become a Geisha so that she may get closer to this man.

Alas, she has no idea how to become a Geisha, as her owners Auntie and Mother will not waste any more money to school her since she tried to run away. And she will find no help from the selfish, self-centered, mean tempered Geisha, Hatsumomo, who helped get her into trouble n the first place. Luckily, a famous Geisha named Mameha comes to Mother wanting to sponsor (one cannot be apprenticed as a Geisha unless she has a big sister sponsor, in the form of an already successful Geisha) Chiyo and offers Mother a deal she cannot refuse. So mother allows Chiyo to be trained as a Geisha. Chiyo has a special attribute that helps her stand out and seems to assure her fame as a Geisha, blue eyes. It is this attribute that earned Chiyo Hatsumomo’s bad graces. Hatsumomo is sponsoring the other young girl in the house, Pumpkin. Mother, the owner of the Geisha house, has no heir for her Geisha house. She plans to adopt one of the girls, but it will be a race to see if Pumpkin or Chiyo will make more money and therefore be adopted. Also Hatsumomo would like nothing better than to see Chiyo and her rival Mameha lose, so she begins to spread ugly rumors about Chiyo or Sayuri as she is called when she becomes an apprenticed Geisha. Will Sayuri become a Geisha? Will she become Mother's adopted daughter? And will she be able to find and get close to the Chairman? You will have to go see the movie to find out.

There is true artistry in the filming of this picture. The whole film is like one long moving painting. The dancing that the girls do is dramatic at times and graceful at times. Each of the girls themselves is a work of art. The kimonos are lovely. The directing and camera work are well done, as are the location choices. No scene is drawn out too long, the music fits the mood, and the camera angles are nicely done with nothing fancy to take away from the artwork that is the characters and location. Everything works together splendidly to produce a movie that is simply a visual feast.

I thought the acting in the film was excellent. Suzuka Ohgo is excellent as the young Chiyo. She acts defiant and confused like any child would in that situation. She has a really expressive face that easily conveys her feelings. Ziyi Zhang plays Sayuri, Chiyo's older self. She too does an excellent job at conveying the emotions that Sayuri must be feeling. She is graceful, demure, and defiant. She also makes a pretty Geisha. Ken Watanabe is the Chairman. For most of the movie is merely the calm, regal man that is the goal of Sayuri desire. He is a major part of the movie without having a large speaking part. He makes his words count, kind and helpful in encouraging Sayuri in the beginning and mysterious in the way he seems to avoid her later. He is exactly how I pictured the Chairman from reading the book. Michelle Yeoh as Mameha is wise as she is beautiful. Mameha with her schemes makes Sayuri the most wanted Geisha in Japan. We also watch her develop and age as the war takes its toll on the way of life she has known. Hers is also a face that gives life to some of her emotions. Li Gong is Hatsumomo the Geisha who at first is the lifeblood of the Geisha house that Sayuri is sold too. She is as cruel as she is beautiful and she gets Sayuri into trouble time and again. Her aim only to kill the career of the Sayuri, who is such a threat to her because she is more beautiful. Again, you can see the cruelty and hatred on her face. And Mother played by Kaori Momoi is perfect just as I picture her with pipe and all. All she cares about is money and her favorite Geisha is the Geisha making her the most money. All the acting was well done bringing this lovely cast of characters from this unknown world to life. Their faces are so full of expression that their words seem almost unnecessary.

This acting is well done, it is an excellent story, and the cinematography is a work of art. Might be a bit long for some at 2 hours and 15 minutes. My only complainant is that they tore out some of the finer points expressed in the novel which makes the movie not as great as the book. The book was a beautiful original artwork that has been nicely but not perfectly copied by someone else. Otherwise step into the unknown world of the Geisha, its a harsh but lovely world and quite a trip indeed.


Recommended: Yes