Memoirs of a Geisha; Analyzing This Movie Clip

The Representation of Geishas in Media

The interpretation that people have of what a geisha is can be strongly determined by the representation of a geisha that they are familiar with. After watching two clips on geishas, one being from a movie and one from a news clip, I see two different representations of the geisha identity. The two clips demonstrate the influence of the geisha on Asian femininity and womanhood through their characteristics portrayed in both the film and news clip.

Memoirs of a Geisha: Analyzing This Movie Clip

The two films represent a geisha as a dominant figure in Asian femininity because of their beauty. Their beauty is turned into an art along with skills to become that dominant figure of beauty in that culture. The film Memoirs of a Geisha (Marshall, 2005) shows an example of how becoming beautiful is a painful process for the geisha, and that the beauty of the geisha is something that takes time and study to master. The news clip makes the geisha seem more like a secretive lifestyle and part of town, for example like a taboo. It almost has an impact that makes you want to know more about what really happens in the line of work for the geisha. These two different representations have a significant effect on the image a geisha has on womanhood. Different forms of presenting the life of a geisha will have an effect on their image of womanhood. They are portrayed as so beautiful that they can stop a man in his tracks, as presented in the film. But there is also the idea of the beautiful virgin. A geisha uses the art of their body to entertain and please men however they can and the best they can. This is where the news clip and information presented in the book Memoirs of a Geisha (Golden, 1997) influence our image of a geisha. With details from the news clip and the book, one may see a geisha as a high-class prostitute now or a woman who will do whatever it takes to please the client or for the right price.

Characteristics and Differences in Representations

Characteristics that were present in both the film and the news clip had some similarities but also differences. The similarities were how they looked and dressed with the traditional clothes and instruments used to entertain. Both the film and news clip mentioned how it takes time and practice to master the art of the geisha. Other similarities include the setting in which the geisha live or “hide” themselves and their secrets. A difference is in the film when the younger girl in training asks when she chooses her donor. The older one then says that it is the other way around and they choose her, but to worry more about getting a man’s attention on her feet with her beauty rather than off of them. This is somewhat different from the news clip because the big factor in the news clip is do they or don’t they? This refers to pleasuring the clients by all means, including prostitution, because of the information exposed in the book.

Unanswered Questions and Cultural Implications

The two presentations of the geisha leave unanswered questions and assumptions. Years ago, there were only rumors and gossip about the possibilities of what happened behind the secret walls of the geishas, but the information in the book exposed an ancient and traditional secret. The news clip and the legal controversy between the authors of the book Memoirs of a Geisha leave people wondering about this ancient tradition that was once known for its beauty and secrets, now revealing a secret world of high-class prostitution. The cultural implications of these revelations are profound, as they challenge long-held beliefs about the role and image of geishas in society, prompting a reevaluation of their place in history and modern culture.

References

Golden, A. (1997). Memoirs of a Geisha. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Marshall, R. (Director). (2005). Memoirs of a Geisha [Film]. Columbia Pictures.