Memoirs of a Geisha

This weekend, we saw Memoirs of a Geisha. I think since the trailer started airing on tv and all the Oscar talk, it was a movie I had wanted to see. I remember reading an article, about the controversy of the two main characters. Because the movie takes place in Japan, is about the Japanese culture, people were in uproar, because the two main actors were in fact Chinese. Personally, that doesn’t bother me, it’s what the movie is about, and how well the actors do, that should be important.

But in watching the trailer, the movie caught my eye. I enjoy watching movies about Asian cultures. Though I do have to say, I just couldn’t get into Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. I tried to sit down and watch it, but my attention span was gone. At work, I kept hearing about the Memoirs of a Geisha book, so I knew that I had to eventually see the movie.

I believe in this movie, aside from the actual plot (love story) there is the informative aspect of what it means to be a geisha and just how important it is in the Japanese culture. I thought the music was beautiful, the scenery was spectacular, the kimonos were gorgeous, and the storyline was a real tear jerker. The young actor (Suzuka Ohgo), who played the main character (when she was 9) was superb. She’s a new actor to the acting scene, but she did an absolute amazing job. She had these beautiful blue eyes, and when she smiled (which wasn’t very often) her face totally lit up. In truth, I think the acting was well done all around. I wasn’t bored in the movie, and the movie really touched a part of me.

At the end of the movie, I thought about my own life. I am not Japanese, but I am of Asian descent, and I know there are a lot of parallels between the cultures. I didn’t say we were all exactly alike, but I do know of some similarities in terms of poverty, and selling children. For those who don’t know, I’m adopted. And after the movie, I thought a lot about how my life would have turned out..had I not been adopted. Where would I be now? Would I have eventually been adopted by another family? Would I have stayed in Korea, been kicked out of the orphanage when I was 16, to fend for myself. And if so, how would I have survived? It sounds like the plot of another movie, or something that would happen years and years ago. But it still happens. There are not enough places for children who don’t have families of their own. And once they reach a certain age, I’m sure the orphanage kicks them out. But would I have been fortunate enough to find shelter and food? What would I have done to pay my expenses? I look at myself, and wonder would I be as healthy as I am today? Would I look the same?

How anyone could sell their child or children, or give them up, is beyond me. I understand people do it for their own reasons, but being a child who was given up, I will never fully understand why. I probably won’t, because finding out the truth of my past, it is merely impossible. People try to persuade me to find out about my past, but I have already given up, before I’ve tried. But in the beginning of the movie, when the two girls were sold, and they were screaming for their father, I just felt so bad for them. And then when the two girls were separated, my heart just felt so tight. I don’t believe in separating siblings, and you hear so many stories where adopted children are not kept together. I think it does a lot of damage to the children involved. But I understand these parents (in the movie) had to do it. To me though, it still doesn’t take away from the fact that they did it.

The movie has a lot of heartwretching moments, and moments that make you really look at your own life. Well, maybe not, but it made me look at mine. But the movie also taught the audience a lot about Japanese culture and the true meaning of being a geisha. One aspect that my partner liked, and I noticed as well, was the fact that through out almost the whole movie, there were all asian characters. Only toward the end, for a brief section, were there American soldiers. But it was nice to see a movie that the focus WAS of the Japanese culture.

I recommend seeing this movie, if you haven’t already. It probably isn’t for everyone, but it does deserve a chance to be seen.

-current mood-UNHAPPY, that I got called into work.