Memoirs Of What Kind Of Geisha?
Before I begin, let me start by saying that this article is not a rant on racism, superiority/inferiority, etc. Let us review the definition of racism:
Racism, n, 1: The prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races. 2: Discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race.
This is merely my opinion on accuracy in Hollywood films. Nowhere in this article will I discuss anything about discrimination or superiority. With that said, let me introduce you to a brief summary of the novel Memoirs Of A Geisha, written by Arthur Golden:
“In 1929, an impoverished nine-year-old named Chiyo from a fishing village is sold to a geisha house in Kyoto`s Gion district and subjected to cruel treatment from the owners and the head geisha Hatsumomo. Her stunning beauty attracts the vindictive jealousy of Hatsumomo, until she is rescued by and taken under the wing of Hatsumomo`s bitter rival, Mameha. Under Mameha`s mentorship, Chiyo becomes the geisha named Sayuri, trained in all the artistic and social skills a geisha must master in order to survive in her society. As a renowned geisha she enters a society of wealth, privilege, and political intrigue. As World War II looms Japan and the geisha`s world are forever changed by the onslaught of history.” (From IMDB.com)
In the film adaptation, due later this year, the lead character, Sayuri Nitta is played by Zhang Ziyi--who most Asians know is Chinese. Two other lead characters, Mameha and Hatsumoto, are played by Chinese actresses as well: Michelle Yeoh and Gong Li, respectively. Wait, what is going on here? Do you see a trend happening? Why are almost all the lead characters Chinese?
According to the New York Times, apparently "...there were no female Japanese actors of the right age remotely comparable to Zhang or Gong whose English was good enough. Some wouldn`t even audition."
I`m sorry, but that sounds like a bunch of bull to me--a sorry excuse that masks the incompetence, indolence, and Westernization of Hollywood movie casting.
I understand that a complete Japanese cast would`ve been hard to accomplish. As well, most movies that are based upon a culture and/or ethnicity are not entirely comprised of people from that particular culture and/or ethnicity. I am just saying that the main characters--or at least the just lead character--should`ve been Japanese.
If the director, producers, and everyone involved with creating this film were really committed to making an accurate movie with an accurate portrayal of the Japanese customs and the Japanese culture, they should have started with casting the parts to those who can actually speak the language and know the culture. No excuses about not having any Japanese actors that fit the roles. Did they have a casting call in Japan? I will say that I am 99.9% sure of the fact that there would have been plenty of actresses vying for those roles. Even if they didn`t speak “good enough English”, there are always alternatives such as supplementing them with English lessons prior to filming, voiceovers, or subtitles.
Take a look at The Last Samurai. Yes, I understand there were some cultural inaccuracies, as people have pointed out, but at least the effort was made to create as accurate a film as possible. Look, almost the whole cast, minus the Americans, are Japanese and this film turned out to be a great success. They even used Hollywood no-name Japanese actors such as Ken Watanabe, who I must point out, got an Oscar nomiantion for his role.
Ignorance, ignorance, ignorance!
Do not get me wrong: I have nothing against these three actresses. Ziyi Zhang, Michelle Yeoh, and Li Gong are all fantastic actresses who have been making great strides in Hollywood for the Asian community. They are definitely not at fault for the atrocious casting of Memoirs Of A Geisha.
I am simply disappointed at the fact that this could have been a chance for the creation of a terrific and informative film about a Japanese tradition and about the Japanese culture. I merely wish the representation of the characters were more accurate.
I`m not going to be a pessimist and say that this film adaptation is going to be a trainwreck. I`m open to giving it a chance, but I do not expect it to be as magnificent a film as critics are hoping it will be.
But then again, who knows? Let`s just anxiously wait and see what this movie will unravel. Maybe we`ll be pleasantly surprised or distastefully fooled.
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