Die Geisha

Ein vornehmer, aber fast langweiliger Film. Ich hatte den Eindruck, dass Rob Marshall nicht weiß, was das Thema seines Film ist, in welcher Kultur er sich bewegt, auf welche Dinge er sich mehr konzentrieren soll und was nicht so wichtig ist. Das Einzige, was in diesem faden Leporello interessant ist, sind die soliden Schauspieler*innen und die schöne Musik von John Williams. Den Film retten ein wenig auch die letzten zwei Minuten (mit schön gemischten Farben im Hintergrund), die zwar den Ausklang des absichtlich nicht-hollywoodmäßigen Subjekts kaputtmachen, aber andererseits einen emotionalen Kontrapunkt bilden, der für die Zufriedenheit des Mainstream-Publikums notwendig ist. (14.01.2006)

Rob Marshall relies on superficial attractiveness, extravagance, and exoticism. His film is not intended for the Japanese audience, as it would probably be inappropriate to cast an actress of Chinese origin in a key role. The film has great visuals, at least in the first half, with the camera gliding along the winding streets of the historic district full of undulating roofs, the graceful curves of young beauties, their meticulous make-up, and elegant kimonos. While the form is polished, the content represents a banal fairytale about how a poor girl eventually found happiness through countless hardships and obstacles, fulfilling her desires. It is shallow and, considering the excessively long runtime, quite empty. The beginning is promising, but the rawness lasts only about 15 minutes, and then it just plays along without providing any statement about the time, society, or specific characters. Though Memoirs of a Geisha looks nearly perfect, it lacks spirit and without it, it is only halfway there. It resembles Christmas decorations - beautiful at first sight, shiny, but hollow and with a short lifespan. Overall impression: 45%. (03.05.2017)

Every once in a while a movie caresses me and makes the next few days more beautiful for me. Memoirs of a Geisha is one of them. The sight of the graceful movements and gait of the geishas blew me away so much that I wished I was one for a while. Ziyi Zhang always looks fragile and influential at the same time in front of the camera. That's why she was absolutely perfect as Sayuri. Of course, praise is also due to the other actors, as I didn't notice any unnatural overacting. I am pleasantly surprised... 4.5 stars. (07.01.2012)

The truth is unfortunately that Rob Marshall gets quite lost and doesn't know where to go with this. The material is much stronger and denser than he is able to handle, and this results in a mess with some sensitive shots and scenes, but they quite often overshadowed by the typical touch of Hollywood big-budget production. The visuals and the production design, on the other hand, are superb. From the costumes, the breathtaking sets (it was filmed exclusively in Los Angeles!) to the clearly Oscar-worthy cinematography that focuses mainly on details – the cameraman excels to the fullest. The screenplay is quite routine, but that was somewhat expected. The excellent composition by John Williams adds to the overall pleasant and well-captured atmosphere. Otherwise, apart from occasional moments, it is too cold. (08.02.2006)

What can it be like when a Hollywood director decides to do a movie on a Japanese topic? Opulent, megalomaniac, romantic and in many respects also respectful of the culture. And I kind of think that this is a success. (11.02.2019)