[nikoniko]

Aside from the movie leaving out a great deal of context for understanding the characters' feelings and actions, were there any significant deviations from the book?

Spoiler:

The whole "let's give Sayuri a few dance lessons and then she'll be the most captivating geisha in the world, easily surpassing those who have practiced for years"-thing seemed very contrived, and I've wondered whether it was really that way in Golden's story.

[Stoofa]

Originally Posted by doroposo

Aside from the movie leaving out a great deal of context for understanding the characters' feelings and actions, were there any significant deviations from the book?

Spoiler:

The whole "let's give Sayuri a few dance lessons and then she'll be the most captivating geisha in the world, easily surpassing those who have practiced for years"-thing seemed very contrived, and I've wondered whether it was really that way in Golden's story.

From what I can remember of the book (it's been years since I read it) there was no significant deviation from the book, but I did feel that by leaving certain things out of the movie the director/screenwriter/whatever was subtlely changing the bones of the story to make it more fairytale like, more fantastical, and less ... touching? I can't think of the right word. I really feel that any emotional connection to the audience was severed during the transfer from book to movie. Golden's tale may be trite, but at least I felt some sympathy for the characters and I could understand why they acted the way they did and actually cared about their plight. The only character who was allowed to carry that over to the movie was Mother.

In the book I felt like the geisha were women, actual human beings. In the movie they are like dolls.

Spoiler:

I can't remember exactly but I'm pretty sure Sayuri had had lots of dance instruction by the time she was to perform her bizarre dance. I think that Mameha even hired special private instructors for her.

[saucyminx]

Read the book. Don't like the movie. Don't like Zhang Zi Yi even less.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Sheesh, girl!

[saucyminx]

What??!

[Intrepid Homoludens]

*sigh*

Damn, Mira, your beauty is in good company.

[saucyminx]

She's skinny. She needs:

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Goddammit!! Mira, Zhang Ziyi, Devon Aoki.... WTF is it with all these beautiful Asian women? I....I'm turning....into a rice king!!!!! NOOOO!!!

Scotts, help me!!!!

..................

[saucyminx]

Trep's brain after a view of gorgeous Asian women...

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Damn you!!! Damn your Asian eyes!

< imagines Mira's eyes >

.......... ............

[RLacey]

Originally Posted by Mira

She's skinny. She needs:

What, you want to kill her off completely by giving her something that no right-minded individual could possibly want to eat?

[seebaruk]

If she has Marmite she'll and then she'll be even skinner.

Oh man, Zhang Ziyi is fine. Definitely helped me sit through the whole film.

[Lucien21]

Zhang Ziyi is indead fine.


I read today that this film has been banned in China for using Chinese actors to portray Japanese characters or some such rubbish.

China is the most censored country in the world. Fortunatly it's also the most abundant with piracy so no doubt copies of the film are doing great business in the local pubs.

[playing_games]

Originally Posted by Lucien21

I read today that this film has been banned in China for using Chinese actors to portray Japanese characters or some such rubbish.

China is the most censored country in the world. Fortunatly it's also the most abundant with piracy so no doubt copies of the film are doing great business in the local pubs.

The uproar over the film in China has to do with what happened during the Sino-Japanese War that concluded at the end of WWII. Chinese believe that Japan committed many atrocities, including the infamous Nanjing Massacre, during which Japanese soldiers were accused of systematically raping and killing women (the count of women who got raped is claimed to be as high as 80,000) during the war. It is estimated that more than 9 million Chinese civilians lost their lives during the war on top of more than 3 million military casualties. Given such a history, there are still many Chinese who believe that it was wrong for a Chinese woman to portray a Japanese in such a glamorous light.

[Stoofa]

Originally Posted by Mira

Read the book. Don't like the movie. Don't like Zhang Zi Yi even less.

Why is it that whenever she cries or is upset on screen she shakes like she has Parkinson's Disease? It's extremely irritating.

Or maybe she does have Parkinson's Disease and I am a giant jerk.

[playing_games]

I read the book years ago and loved it. I saw the movie last week and liked it a lot myself. I have to say that I liked the book better by a mile but the movie stands on its own as a quality flick. Not a masterpiece but it was highly enjoyable.

[saucyminx]

Just got a text from SJH today, shouting that he saw a geisha on the street.

[AFGNCAAP]

Originally Posted by playing_games

The uproar over the film in China has to do with what happened during the Sino-Japanese War that concluded at the end of WWII. Chinese believe that Japan committed many atrocities, including the infamous Nanjing Massacre, during which Japanese soldiers were accused of systematically raping and killing women (the count of women who got raped is claimed to be as high as 80,000) during the war. It is estimated that more than 9 million Chinese civilians lost their lives during the war on top of more than 3 million military casualties. Given such a history, there are still many Chinese who believe that it was wrong for a Chinese woman to portray a Japanese in such a glamorous light.

It's so ironic that some 15,000 Chinese get killed by their own government yearly, and yet the crimes that took place at our grandparents' times are something to hold grudge against a whole nation about, 60 years later.

[Once A Villain]

Originally Posted by AFGNCAAP

It's so ironic that some 15,000 Chinese get killed by their own government yearly, and yet the crimes that took place at our grandparents' times are something to hold grudge against a whole nation about, 60 years later.

Good point. Being a Japanese history buff of sorts, I know all about the Rape of Nanjing. I read a great book on the subject about two years ago, complete with disgusting, horrifying pictures. It was bad stuff, without a doubt. However, just as you say, how is it so much worse than China's own government killing thousands of Chinese? If that wasn't happening, I think they'd have a much greater right to despise the Japanese (at least for the sins of the past).

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Yes, quite a good point.

"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."