Memoirs of a Geisha
Watched a couple of weeks ago.
Rated PG-13 for mature subject matter and some sexual content.
According to IMDb: Won 3 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 26 nominations
This movie isn't in the theaters any longer, but it is readily available for rental.
We've all seen depictions of those Japanese ladies with the excessive makeup and beautiful costumes. But who exactly were the 'Geisha', and what exactly was their place and purpose in Japanese society?
After seeing this movie, I can't say that I really know. It is not by any means a 'documentary', nor does it present any historical context for the development of 'Geishadom'. It is very focused on the life of one Japanese lady who does eventually become a Geisha at the very sunset of Japanese high society, immediately before the atomic bombing and occupation of Japan at the end of World War II. Everything you learn about the Geisha is shaded through her point of view, her biases, her limitations. While this might be a drawback in some ways, the poignancy and drama of her story as well as her personal abhorance/avoidance of sexual contact with her clients (presumably because of her love for someone else) make me glad this approach was used. This movie is based on a book which is supposed to be very good, but I haven't read it or encountered any reviews of it.
This movie contains little or no language, rare for a PG-(Profanity-Guaranteed) 13 movie! But it does have sexual content mainly in two particular scenes. One involves what seems to be an attempted rape of a Geisha, where a client strips off some of her clothes (but it is made clear later that she was not actually raped). Another is a scene following a nude hot-tub soiree between Geishas and US Army officers, where sexual intercourse is about to be initiated but the couple is interrupted. Thankfully, neither scene depicts any actual nudity, but they are very intensely adult in nature and would lead me to warn off even the most mature teens, as well as any adults who find rape scenes to be erotic. (I'd also have to warn off the foot-fetish crowd, but we won't get into that.
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The only other objection I can find is that the occupying Americans are depicted very badly - they are brutal, sexual, debauched, drunk partying invaders. You also see American tanks and armored vehicles cluttering up the once-beautiful streets. It isn't an entirely unfair depiction - but it certainly isn't balanced by showing the aggression of the Japanese military and its own militarization of once beautiful Japanese towns. And of course there is not even the slightest hint to the REASON for American occupation and the atomic bombing of Japanese cities. With that said though, the atomic bombing is only mentioned in passing and Memoirs of a Geisha largely avoids degenerating into a political 'message movie'.
In summary, I think this movie deserves its laurels. It is beautifully filmed and costumed and well acted, and the music is masterfully composed by John Williams. But most importantly, the story is interesting and compelling (for me, the beginning was a LITTLE slow). And though much of the last part of the movie is a bit tragic and depressing, it isn't a wholly tragic or unsatisfying ending.
My opinion: A-
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If you're looking for a good thriller, with a Christian basis, I recomend it. I do caution against letting children/teens watch it, unless they are mature, emotionally as well as spiritually.
