I'd seen the film before, a couple of years back, before I read the book and I thought it was a weak film. However, having read the book I felt the film was better. Still not as good as the book though.

I thought the imagery was excellent. All the brightly coloured Kimonos and the rooftops where exactly like I pictured them in the book. I loved the image of the small Chiyo running along the passage way and the way that scene was used again at the end of the film. Hatsumomo was as evil as the book portrayed her and the little Chiyo actress was excellent. I noticed that the fire incident didn't happen in the book and felt that this was thrown in for dramatic effect rather unnecessarily.

I don't feel as much was made of the realtionship between Sayuri and Nobu as it was in the book ... it was therefore not as significant that he says he loves her towards the end of the film. Of course, the length and nature of a film often means that details are missed out. I also thought the chemistry between Sayuri and the Chairman was a bit bland. I am usually tearful in a film when people *finally* kiss and embrace but I wasn't in this case.

The other 'flaw' for me was that many of the actresses/actors in this film were Chinese and not Japanese. I felt this made the film hugely less authentic. I also didn't understand why Japanese actors were not used and the film subtitled. Was this because the book was written in English? Was this because they felt it wouldn't win the Oscar as a subtitled film?

Again, I feel another review of mine sounding somewhat negative I DID enjoy this film, would recommend it to others. I would say in conclusion that reading the book before certainly will fill the gaps. I watched it with my Mum who hasn't read the book and for the first 20 minutes or so she needed a little commentry from myself!

I thought the chemistry between the Chairman and Chiyo also bland and didn't really feel anything when they finally kissed at the end. There didn't seem to be any build up like there is in the book. I remember being blown away when he scoops her up and gives her a big snog in the book! I also wanted to see them go to America, but can understand that the directors wanted the film to close on a happy note. I suppose you've got to draw a line as to how much detail you put in a film and which areas to concentrate on. I thought the portrayal of Mother, Auntie, Hatsumomo and Pumpkin was excellent - exactly as I imagined. But wanted to see more of Nobu and also the artist. Nobu is a passionate character in the book and you don't see much of him in the film. It was sensitively filmed. The seedy atmosphere of the okiyas and the kimono were just how I pictured them whilst reading the book. I missed the first 5 mins and was expecting to see more of Chiyo and Satsu's life in their home village. I liked the young Chiyo too, she was so cute and wasn't she just beaten black and blue poor kid. I felt for her, I think, more than I did in the book. It's hard to explain but the way events are described in the book, I wasn't in floods of tears as I expected, given two children are torn from their parents. I can't quite put my finger on why.

Anyway, an entertaining film, beautiful actresses, stunning dances, wonderful cinematography. Would definitely recommend. I'm sure their hairstyles would have been more traditional. Would hate to sleep on one of those 'pillows'. Nightmare. It was lovely to see the women in western style dress at the Baron's party. A real contrast to the kimono.

Glynis wrote:

I wasn't in floods of tears as I expected, given two children are torn from their parents. I can't quite put my finger on why.

Well the moment they're taken from their parents is very rushed, and not particularly memorable compared to the rest of the film. I think it's all quite confused at the beginning too - especially if you haven't read the book - you don't necessarily know they're being taken from their family until the narration starts. I think this results in you feeling detatched from the emotions. Also, in the book, I felt a deeper sadness when Chiyo gets the letter saying that her Father and Mother have died. In the film, this is fairly near the beginning and you haven't had the time to build up the sense of emotion and empathy for Chiyo like you do in the book.

yeeeeesss reading the book, I didn't feel dreadfully sad even though I could relate to Chiyo's loss. As you say, Mazzy, I did feel detached. Perhaps because of the way it is written - Sayuri is telling the tale in hindsight so maybe she has learned to detach herself, although I'm sure that retelling it would drag up loads of buried emotions. If so, it didn't come across in the story. Yes it is sad, but it reads almost matter of factly (sp?).

However, you're right, when Chiyo received the letter confirming her parents' deaths, I felt more sympathetic towards Chiyo. She went to great lengths to escape; lost her sister; is beaten and bullied; and then told the tablets are all she has left of her childhood...ohh that was sooo sad. It came across as so in the book and film. Chiyo receives no love whatsover and you can understand her decision to make it as a geisha as it's the only way she knows to survive. It's as her older sister says later on in the book, we become geisha because we have no choice.

Actually, it's later on in the book when Sayuri recalls the hurt of knowing her father sold her that I felt really sad about the loss of her family and home. This definitely comes across more in the book than the film. What came across in the film & book was how resilient Chiyo is, how well she adapts to her new life and her ability to change her destiny rather than accepting whatever fate throws at her. I loved how she was determined to have love in her life, despite only few geisha being lucky enough to fall in love with their danna.

I think the first think that disappointed me was that they were all talking English ! LOL! I thought it would be subtitled and in the same style as 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon' and 'House of Flying Daggers', but it was not in the same league as these films. I also felt you didn't really get into the main character they way you did with the book - which I loved btw. I ended up switching it off before the end because I disliked it so much !