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Creating a true 'Geisha'

By Angela Shawn-Chi Lu

Dec. 7, 2005 9:00 p.m.

Slowly, streams of blood-red dye begin to appear in a river,
representing the bloodshed of World War II. The redness then
transforms into long, flowing pieces of beautiful, red kimono
cloth.

Some of the most poignant scenes in the upcoming movie
adaptation of Arthur Golden’s 1997 best-selling novel
“Memoirs of a Geisha,” which previews tonight at the
James Bridges Theater, are without words. That was the intent of
Oscar-winning film editor Pietro Scalia, whose previous credits
include “Black Hawk Down,” “Gladiator” and
“Good Will Hunting.”

When Scalia was first approached by director Rob Marshall
(“Chicago”) to join the project, he believed the film
presented a unique opportunity to emulate the subtle, lyrical and
poetic quality characteristic of the work of Japan’s most
renowned filmmakers, such as Akira Kurosawa.

“My interest in doing “˜Memoirs’ was partly
because I love classical Japanese films,” said Scalia, who
will be present for a question-and-answer session afterward.
“There’s something particular about Japanese culture in
those movies that always created a very powerful drama — it was
the things that were not said, the things that were left out. I
approached “˜Memoirs’ in the same way.”

Both Scalia, who earned his master’s from the UCLA School
of Theater, Film and Television in 1985, and Marshall wanted to
make a historical romance that was not only compelling, but also
authentically Japanese.

The film had its own geisha consultant, as well as a dialect
coach, who worked with actors on speaking Japanese-accented
English, as much of the starring cast is, in fact, not Japanese.
Ziyi Zhang, who plays the protagonist Sayuri, and Gong Li, who
plays the cruel geisha Hatsumomo, are both Chinese. Michelle Yeoh,
who plays Sayuri’s mentor Mameha, is Malaysian.

Despite the filmmakers’ efforts, the film has received
criticism for lacking authenticity. Many have questioned whether
non-Japanese actors could correctly portray Japanese culture, but
Scalia is quick to defend the casting of the film.

“I don’t think (the fact that several of the actors
are not Japanese) takes any validity from the acting,” Scalia
said. “Good acting is just good acting. The best … actors
that (Marshall) found, he hired. If you see “˜Doctor
Zhivago,’ the actor is Egyptian. Does that take away from
Omar Sharif’s performance, that he plays a Russian? Or what
about Meryl Streep playing a Polish woman in “˜Sophie’s
Choice’? It’s a silly argument.”

Many have also questioned the ability of a Hollywood movie
filmed in California to portray the subtleties of the esoteric
geisha tradition.

The novel itself, in fact, was criticized by the woman who
inspired it. In 2001, former geisha Mineko Iwasaki sued author
Golden for millions, alleging the novel was rife with
inaccuracies.

In the movie, one dance sequence features Sayuri performing on a
raised stage with enough high-tech lighting for a modern rock
concert, though the story is set in 1930s Japan.

Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood spent months on
research for historical accuracy, but revealed to the Los Angeles
Times that the kimonos eventually created differed from real ones
““ she had decided that the subtlety of actual geisha dress
would not have the right impact on film.

Audiences might just have to accept this movie for what it is: a
sumptuous Hollywood blockbuster marked by poignant performances,
stunning cinematography, elegant costume design and universal
themes.

“I hope people go see it because it’s a good
story,” Scalia said. “It is a classical story in the
sense that it has the Cinderella aspect. It’s very
Dickensian.”

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Angela Shawn-Chi Lu
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