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Viewpoints Misjudged: Memoirs of a Geisha
Viewpoints Misjudged: Memoirs of a Geisha | Misjudged: Memoirs of a Geisha |
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 Memoirs of a Geisha starring internationally renown Chinese actresses, Zhang Ziyi, Michelle Yeoh and Gong Li opened in Britain this weekend with a whirlwind of controversy and complaint following closely behind it. The decision to cast Chinese leads in a Japanese film in the west may at first seem to be a trivial matter, but for many Asian audiences has been an issue of strong contention.
The film is based on Arthur Golden's 1997 novel, which sold over four million copies in English and was translated into thirty-two languages. It tells the story of Chiyo, an impoverished nine-year-old who is sold to a geisha house only to be subjected to abuse from its owners and head geisha Hatsumomo who is jealous of her great beauty. Hatsumomo’s bitter rival, Mameha, rescues Chiyo and under her mentorship, Chiyo becomes the geisha named Sayuri mastering cultural and social skills. She enters privileged society as a well-known geisha and is party to the wealth and political intrigue that is part of that society; yet as World War II emerges her world becomes changed forever. The decision to cast Chinese leads in this film was based upon the intention to capitalize on the recent success of films such as Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and House of Flying Daggers. In casting Asian actresses already known to the American public, the films producers wanted to increase its marketability, Instead, they failed to perceive that they would be seen as perpetuating the notion that Hollywood views that all Asians to be the same. The production crew were accused of ignoring casting issues and were considered ignorant of pan-Asianism: they had not bothered to familiarise themselves with or understand the diversity of cultures in Asia. This has encouraged the criticism that it is "a movie about Japanese played by Chinese, written by whites". Japan and China are two distinctive countries with strong identities that have a long history of contention between them and the last century has been littered with bitter and bloody fighting over territorial claims. Chinese newspapers say that it is uncertain whether this film will ever be released in China. Reports in the Oriental Morning Post and Shanghai Youth Daily suggest that China's censors initially approved the film but fearing they would be bombarded by public criticism, changed their minds. The film adds its own fuel to the fire. The character ‘geisha’ in Chinese contains the character ‘prostitute’ and has provoked nationalist outcry as Zhang Ziyi plays the lead role of Sayuri who attracts the attention of a Japanese man at a time when China and Japan were at war with each other. This issue is particularly poignant as during the period in which the film is set, many Chinese women were forced to be sex slaves for Japanese troops. An event that occurred within living memory, this for some Chinese movie critics, is too much to tolerate. From a Japanese viewpoint, geishas are perceived as someone who is skilled in their profession. Geishas have several years of education seeped in history and culture, but the Chinese actresses had only some weeks of training to learn how to bow, serve food and drink and learn the other tricks of the trade. Furthermore, several areas of detail have been dispensed, including the sophisticated makeup and hair arrangements that are paramount to Geisha attire. The film disappoints its audience on a number of levels. It treats its western audience as though they were as culturally insensitive its producers, and have no care or knowledge for the intricate historical issues in the Far East. Using a storyline that reflects some themes from the much-maligned Suzy Wong film, Memoirs of a Geisha also uses the often-recurrent themes of oriental female exoticism to carry it’s disappointingly executed story line. On a greater level, the film can also be perceived as being symptomatic of the way in which the west often sees itself in a position of power in relation to the rest of the world. China and Japan are not seen as two separate countries with distinctive identities and characteristics, the term Asian is enough to encompass all the countries and peoples of the Far East. The film chooses to completely ignore the opinions of the massive Asian market, including its diasporas. With greater economic prosperity in the east, and the emergence of China as a super power, western audiences are becoming more sophisticated about events in the Far East. Eastern audiences are also interested in what Hollywood has to offer them. It would be prudent, therefore, to pay greater attention to cultural detail and show better awareness and sensitivity over such historical issues that will be paramount to building bridges for the future. Have you seen 'Memoirs of a Geisha'? What do you think? Join the debate here:http://www.dimsum.co.uk/forum/. |
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