Movie Making Mishaps: Memoirs of a Geisha
Bad Film Gecko admission time: I haven’t seen this movie yet. The holidays pretty much swallowed me whole and ripped me away from all of the entertainment that I hold dear. I loved the book by Arthur Golden, a sweeping tale of life in a marginal population of modern Japan. The designation of geisha was one that was hard earned, difficult to be successful at, and a source of great cultural pride and symbolism for the Japanese.
It’s not overly surprising then, to learn that not everyone in Asia is happy with Rob Marshall’s new movie. The Japanese are up in arms, the Chinese are up in arms, and Hollywood is just kind of plunked in the middle like a giant historically insensitive pinata. Why? Well, and I’m not going to say this politely, but the casting director seemed to think that any Asian would do, and subsequently cast all Chinese actresses to play the roles of Japanese geishas. Insulting? Just a little bit! Just because Marshall’s crew was satisfied with any actress from “over there” does not erase political boundaries and years of cultural tensions between two of the most powerful nation on the planet.
The movie stars Zhang ZiYi (Chinese) as the lead, Sayuri, along with Gong Li (Chinese) and Michelle Yeoh (Chinese Malaysian) in prominent supporting roles. I hate to be the one to say it, seeing that I generally like her, but there really are other actresses from Asia other than Zhang ZiYi. She doesn’t have to be the stunning lead in every Hollywood movie featuring a Asian character. She’s like what Dakota Fanning is to adolescent girl roles….ubiquitous. I would be willing to bet that there are some excellent Japanese actresses who would have done admirably as Sayuri, or even an unknown Chinese actress if ethnicity really wasn’t a concern. True, it would have been a risky move to cast a relative unknown (in North America anyway) is such a major role, but considering that even Zhang ZiYi can pull the big numbers into the seats for Memoirs of a Geisha, perhaps a risky move would have been in order.
Cinematical summarizes the objections of both the Chinese and Japanese nay-sayers by remarking that:
Interestingly, there are objections from both countries. Most of the complaints coming from Japan focus on the movie’s liberal interpretation of traditional Geisha dress and behavior, as well as the fact that ethnically Japanese actors play primarily secondary roles in the film. Meanwhile, those from China feel that, based on the historical animosity between the two countries, the actresses are betraying their nation by playing Japanese characters.
Did Marshall learn his lesson? Judging by his comment that “The challenge for me was to bring that world to life. For me, it is an artistic impression of that world.“, I would say not. He seems to be suffering from the ‘I’m not Japanese, these things don’t matter to me, so I’ll take whatever creative license I choose’ syndrome. He insists that he cast the actresses based on talent, not ethnicity, and defends his choices by saying
When you saw Zorba The Greek, and you saw Anthony Quinn play Zorba, was that odd to you because he was Irish and Mexican?
I think perhaps his analogy is a little off kilter, considering that the Japanese occupied China in the 1930’s and have been accused of being less than kind to the inhabitants. In fact, I believe the word atrocities has been bandied around like a hot potato for decades. Now unless the Irish invaded Greece at some point in history that I don’t remember, or Mexico somehow offended the majority of the Mediterranean, I think the situation is a little different.
It’s a case of critics run amok to be sure and I’m not convinced that all the hooplah was necessary, there seemed to be a rather large outpouring of offended rants, suggested boycotts and general crankiness, but I do think that this situation has brought up some interesting issues about cultural sensitivity and the need for Hollywood to take a little more care.
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6 opinions for Movie Making Mishaps: Memoirs of a Geisha
Dan T
Jan 6, 2006 at 1:39 am
It is interesting that I have yet to meet a Japanese who has seen this movie complain that the actors are not Japanese. The lead actress is actually quite popular here (in Tokyo).
Isn’t it amazing that when a movie is to be made about Japan on Japanese actors are supposed to paly the roles according to some. However, I notice Australians acting as Maericans, Americans as British etc. Is it the racial angle? Are Japanese of a different race than the Chinese. Many claim they.
Most of the complaints I have seen or read of are from non-Japanese complaining about the use of non-Japanese actors. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t some groups complaining about it. The Chinese are not especially well-liked in Japan right now (if they ever were). Perhpas those of the extreme nutter crowd like Gov. Isihara of Tokyo would resent any dirty, dangerous, untrustworthy, semi-human non-Japanese portraying a pure Japanese on film.
Most Japanese know that this is a movie, not a factual documentary. They even endured the absurdly ridiculous “Last Samurai” in which some drunk came over form America, got the woman whose husband he killed to fall in love with him, and convinced the emperor to fight them thar furriners.
The movie that I have heard the most criticism about was “Lost in Translation.”
Erin Harvey
Jan 6, 2006 at 8:13 am
Like I said, it’s a case of critics getting all fired up about an issue that I wasn’t sure (and you’ve confirmed this), that everyday Japanese folks really paid too much attention to. North Americans are funny critters that way, never shy to comment on things. :)
It does raise the Hollywood sensitivity issue though, and I suppose you could add the critics in with those that need a little training.
» Film Gecko : Blog Search Engine
Jan 12, 2006 at 8:02 am
[...] Check out what she says about the new movie “Memoirs of a Geisha” Bad Film Gecko admission time: I haven’t seen this movie yet. The holidays pretty much swallowed me whole and ripped me away from all of the entertainment that I hold dear. I loved the book by Arthur Golden, a sweeping tale of life in a marginal population of modern Japan. [...]
Jim
Jan 15, 2006 at 1:33 am
Your blog is very perceptive. I would have thought you actually live in Japan. Among the most perceptive is that Marshall doesn’t appear to have learned anything from this experience and to me, that’s the most frustrating. Sort of reminds me of a certain president… but we won’t go there!
Chris Lim
Feb 8, 2006 at 4:12 pm
Just saw the movie last night.
Visually, it is a real treat. Fantastic colors and cinematography.
I do have an issue with the lack of depth of the story and the mono-dimensionness of most of the characters (Hatsumono, played by the fabulous Gong Li, for one!). But asking for cultural accuracies may be a bit too much especially if the story is made by a foreigner (who as far as I research) did not spend time ethnographically into understanding the subject matter. Oops, I digress.
Wanted to find out from any Japanese readers out there if I am wrong to say that the debut dance of Sayuri (where she went all wild in the ‘dance of fury’) is totally NOT Japanese at all? I did read the book a long time ago, but I don’t recall the description of this specific event.
Thank you
Gigei
Jul 28, 2006 at 10:27 am
I’m Filipino and I cringed the first time I heard the obviously Chinese-accented voices speaking English. How can they be geisha if they speak with a Chinese accent? Plus their looks are so obviously Chinese. There just cannot be any suspension of disbelief here for people who can actually tell one Asian race from another.
Exactly how would you react if, instead of Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman played Dorothy Dandridge? Ok, maybe we could allow Nicole to paint herself black to lend versimilitude to the role but for goodness sake her features are white and she is famous. It’s exactly that way for Zhang Ziyi, et. al. Maybe if they glued on full face masks (like in spy movies) and altered their features then I could possibly believe it but as it was….no, just no.
Gong Li was the best of the 3 main female characters. Zhang Ziyi was wooden throughout most of the film. Yeoh looked old and tired in the film. The scene where she was supposed to show her seductive power on a random grey hatted man made me wince as she doesn’t look alluring. This could just be personal preference, I guess. In any case Gong Li probably did best because she is the most beautiful and her character was more open and tempestuous than the other two who were supposed to be more subtle.
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