Memoirs of a Geisha, released in Japan as Sayuri, is a 2005 American epic period drama film directed by Rob Marshall and adapted by Robin Swicord from the 1997 novel of the same name by Arthur Golden. It tells the story of a young Japanese girl, Chiyo Sakamoto, who is sold by her impoverished family to a geisha house (okiya) to support them by training as and eventually becoming a geishaunder the pseudonym "Sayuri Nitta." The film centers around the sacrifices and hardship faced by pre-World War II geisha, and the challenges posed to geisha society by the war and a modernizing world. It stars Zhang Ziyi in the lead role, with Ken Watanabe, Gong Li, Michelle Yeoh, Youki Kudoh, Suzuka Ohgo, and Samantha Futerman.
Plot[]
In 1929, Chiyo Sakamoto and her older sister Satsu are sold by their poor father and taken to Gion, Kyoto. Chiyo is taken in by Kayoko Nitta, or "Mother", a local okiya owner; Satsu, deemed unattractive, is sent to a brothel instead. Chiyo also meets "Granny" and "Auntie" (who is kind to Chiyo), the other women who run the house; Pumpkin, another young girl; and the okiya's resident geisha Hatsumomo.
Pumpkin and Chiyo soon begin geisha training. Hatsumomo, threatened by Chiyo, is immediately abusive. One night, Hatsumomo and another geisha (Korin) force her to ruin a valuable kimono belonging to their rival Mameha, a prominent geisha in Gion. Auntie takes up the responsibility in punishing Chiyo, as ruining Mameha's kimono has cost Mother money. Hoping she will run away, Hatsumomo tells her where to find Satsu in the red light district. They plan to escape the following night.
When Chiyo returns to the Okiya late that night, she stumbles upon Hatsumomo and her illicit boyfriend Koichi. As the noise wakes the rest of the okiya, Koichi runs away and Hatsumomo tries to frame Chiyo for stealing to distract from her tryst. Mother begins to severely beat Chiyo, who quickly informs her of Hatsumomo's relations with Koichi. Finding evidence of the affair, Mother bars her from seeing him, and locks the gate; only letting them out for appointments.
The next night, trying to escape via the rooftops, Chiyo falls and is injured. Due to her accumulating costs, Mother stops investing in her geisha training, making Chiyo a servant to pay off her debts. Satsu flees Kyoto and Chiyo never sees her again. Mother later tells Chiyo her parents died. One day, while crying on a bridge, Chiyo encounters Chairman Ken Iwamura. He buys her a treat, gives her his handkerchief and some money to cheer her up. Touched by his kindness, Chiyo resolves to become a geisha to one day be part of his life.
Years later, Pumpkin debuts as a maiko under Hatsumomo's tutelage. Shortly afterwards, Chiyo is taken under the wing of Mameha, who persuades Mother to reinvest in Chiyo's geisha training, promising to pay her double after her debut. Chiyo becomes a maiko and is renamed Sayuri. At a sumo match, she is reintroduced to the chairman, but is noticed by his gruff business partner Toshikazu Nobu.
Due to Mameha's efforts, and no thanks to Hatsumomo, Sayuri rises in popularity, attracting the attention of many men—including Dr. Crab and the Baron, Mameha's own danna. In a bidding war for Sayuri's deflowering ceremony, as part of her becoming a full geisha, Dr. Crab gives the record-breaking bid, 15,000 yen. Mother immediately names Sayuri as her adopted daughter and the heiress to the okiya, crushing Pumpkin and enraging Hatsumomo.
Returning home afterwards, Sayuri finds a drunken Hatsumomo in her room, with the chairman's handkerchief. A fight breaks out, in which Hatsumomo lights the okiya on fire. The building is saved, and Hatsumomo is banished. Sayuri's successful career is cut short by World War II. Sayuri is relocated to the countryside, where she works making kimonos. After the war ends, Nobu asks her to help him impress an American Colonel to get funding for their business. She convinces Mameha to help her, as well as Pumpkin, who now is an escort.
Sayuri travels with Nobu, the chairman, Mameha, Pumpkin, and the American soldiers to the Amami Islands. The Colonel propositions Sayuri, but she rejects him. Nobu confronts her afterwards, confessing his desire to become her danna. Sayuri plans to have Nobu catch her being intimate with the Colonel so he loses interest, enlisting Pumpkin's help. However, Pumpkin brings the chairman instead. When confronted, she admits it was in revenge for Mother adopting Sayuri instead of her. Disheartened, Sayuri gives up on the chairman.
Returning to Gion, Sayuri is summoned to a nearby tea-house. Expecting Nobu, she is surprised to see the chairman. He confesses his feelings for Sayuri, admitting he always knew who she was but refused to interfere with Nobu's feelings out of respect, and that he himself arranged for Mameha to become her mentor. Sayuri finally can declare her love to the chairman and they kiss.
Cast[]
- Zhang Ziyi as Chiyo Sakamoto/Sayuri Nitta
- Suzuka Ohgo as young Chiyo
- Shizuko Hoshi as older Chiyo (voice-over narrator)
- Ken Watanabe as Chairman Ken Iwamura
- Michelle Yeoh as Mameha
- Gong Li as Hatsumomo
- Kōji Yakusho as Nobu
- Kaori Momoi as Kayoko "Mother" Nitta
- Youki Kudoh as Pumpkin
- Zoe Weizenbaum as young Pumpkin
- Samantha Futerman as Satsu Sakamoto
- Mako as Mr. Sakamoto
- Elizabeth Sung as Mrs. Sakamoto
- Kotoko Kawamura as Grandmother Nitta
- Tsai Chin as Auntie
- Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as the Baron
- Kenneth Tsang as the General
- Eugenia Yuan as Korin
- Karl Yune as Koichi
- Ted Levine as Col. Derricks
- Paul Adelstein as Lt. Hutchins
- Togo Igawa as Tanaka
- Randall Duk Kim as Dr. Crab
- Navia Nguyen as Izuko
- Faith Shin as Keiko
- Yoko Narahashi as Mameha's Maid
- Takayo Fischer as Teahouse Mistress
- Nobu Matsuhisa as Kimono Artist