Geisha: Unconceivable Love

“Is my life just passing before my eyes like this?” sighs a teary-eyed woman as she watches people who have come to see the cherry blossoms on a sunny warm spring afternoon at an overpass. A middle-aged chairman (played by Watanabe Ken, the same man who was the protagonist of “The Last Samurai”) consoles her by buying her plums and shaved ice with syrup.

Beautiful geishas are standing beside him. Chiyo feels attracted to the chairman, who showed her the existence of kindness in this world, and decides to become a geisha so she can meet him again. After twists and turns, she learns under Mameha (Michelle Yeoh), goes through a rigorous education of dance, music, art and conversations, and becomes the best geisha, known as “Sayuri” makes a glamorous debut in social circles.

Memoirs of a Geisha tells a story of things that cannot be possessed. Sayuri turns down endless proposals by a multitude of men and keeps her love for a single man, but when she finally meets him again, she has to hide her love for him. The sole reason why she brews tea, pours sake, dances, and ties her obi (a kimono belt) is for chairman, but he will not accept Sayuri’s love for him after he finds out that his friend and savior, Nobu (Kôji Yakusho, the protagonist of “Shall we Dance”), has feelings for Sayuri. Facing the irony of life that she can have all the men and beauty in the world, but not whom she desires most, Sayuri despairs.

The movie also deals with beauty. The beauty in the movie originates from hiding, self-control and oppression. Producer Steven Spielberg and Director Rob Marshall of “Chicago” make a movie faithful to the original book and capture the essence of the Japanese trait of “hiding” through a geisha who is depicted as an artist, not a prostitute.

Unique and elaborate make-up, colorful kimonos, the dark, snowy narrow alleys of Kyoto in the 1930s, small tatami floor rooms, tea ceremonies, dances, and music are all beautifully filmed, but the hidden struggles between competing women, and the language they skillfully use to seduce wealthy patrons are just as beautiful.

Mameha teaches, “Most of our customers are victims of arranged marriages, so they want to be comforted by us. In such times, show your wrist slightly. A glimpse of the wrist can give great pleasure. And when sitting next to them, sit so that you slightly touch their legs once. Of course, pretend to be casual.”

The movie itself is beautiful yet cold because it does not focus enough on describing the minds of the characters. Soulless beauty is an empty beauty. But it is still wonderful to watch the legendary trio of Chinese actresses Ziyi Zhang, Gong Li, and Michelle Yeoh all in one movie. In particular, Li’s performance of shuttling between jealousy and decadence, and Yeoh’s performance of alternating between achievement and emptiness are wonderful. It is sad, though, to see the youth of Zhang contrasting with the aging of the other two actresses.

The movie opens on February 2 in Korea and is rated PG-15.

Mun-Myung Huh angelhuh@donga.com