Hollywood GEISHA raise eyebrows in Asia

Reuters ^ | November 28, 2005 | Hildy

[Kirkwood]

I've been working off and on in Japan for many years and one of the surprising things I learned was how ignorant even the well-educated Japanese are about their own country and culture. I knew much more than they knew and was explaining things to their amazement. Of course I don't mean to cast a bad light on the Japanese, because many in the US are totally ignorant of our history. However, I wonder how many Japanese truly know all the details about life for geishas in the time period of this story.

As an aside, I was shown the house in Kyoto where Saruyi was said to have lived and I could imagine her escaping on the roof as a child so she could find her sister.

[section9]

Bollocks. A Japanese will be able to tell the difference. Look, I've got nothing against Michelle Yeoh, for instance. Superb actress. However; Hollywood passed over legions of available Japanese talent for this film.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[wideawake]

It was bizarre. It was like watching a movie about WWII with FDR deciding to rap one of his Fireside Chats instead of speaking it.

"F to tha D to tha R in the hizzouse, y'all!"

[killjoy]

Okay, can someone tell me why they got ethnic Chinese actresses to play a Japanese Geisha?

Okay, can someone tell me why they got an ugly ethnic Chinese actress to play a Japanese Geisha? ;)

[Tired of Taxes]

"Oh, they all look alike".

I'm not being sarcastic with this question... I'm just wondering: How does someone know the difference? I need to know because I've unwittingly insulted many people of Asian descent by assuming they are Chinese, for example, instead of Korean.

All my ancestors were from Italy, and I look it, but most people assume my ancestry is German, for some reason. Germany did horrendous things during WWII (and, for that matter, Italy wasn't perfect either), but the mistake doesn't insult me. I guess there's so much anger between Asians that the mistake insults them...?

[najida]

Yeah,
Stuff like that annoys the bejeebers out of me....

Like all the actresses being super skinny in 'The Necklace', which made the costumes look stupid. The period dress was meant for more buxom women.

Lable it a fantasy piece if you must, but when you mess with history, you're showing your stupidity.

[theFIRMbss]

>TOKYO (Reuters) - A dream team of movie stars from China and Japan gathered in Tokyo on Monday to promote "Memoirs of a Geisha," the first big-budget Hollywood romance to feature an almost entirely Asian cast

The commentary
(with Buffy!) about Japan
I thought was better

than the film itself.
(Sarah walked into a post
watching a geisha . . .)

[Kirkwood]

She can pass as Japanese. The Japanese certainly don't all look alike you know. If you want to talk about bad casting, how about John Wayne as Genghis Khan?

[wideawake]

A Japanese will be able to tell the difference.

Yes. And an Englishman can tell that an Australian of Franco-Italian descent (Toni Collette) isn't actually an Englishwoman when she plays Harriet Smith in Emma.

Yet I don't recall any press furor over that movie.

The Japanese are simply more xenophobic as a society than other cultures are.

They need to deal with that cultural limitation - it isn't Hollywood's responsibility to pander to it.

[cryptical]

I'm just wondering: How does someone know the difference? I need to know because I've unwittingly insulted many people of Asian descent by assuming they are Chinese, for example, instead of Korean.

It's not even worth guessing. Every ethnicity dislikes each other, going back 1000s of years so it's better to ask in my experience.

[wideawake]

Indeed. Too many Asians get way too enraged about being misidentified.

I'm the opposite of you - I'm of Irish/English/German ancestry but many people have erroneously assumed that I'm of Italian or Jewish ancestry.

Doesn't bother me in the slightest. Certain people are just way too touchy.

[dennisw]

Good book ... I read it.

[MattinNJ]

Hollywood can't hold a candle to Japan, South Korea, or China when it comes to film making...And I am not just talking old school (Kurosawa) either.

I dare Hollywood to make a movie as good as China's "House of Flying Daggers" (stunning), South Korea's "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" (brutal, slow descent into hell as kidnapping plan goes awry), or Japan's "Audition" (Fatal Attraction on steroids-truly sick and twisted).

Let Hollywood keep making movies about gay cowboys. I love to watch liberals lose their money.

For every "Saving Private Ryan" there is a "Brotherhood of War" (Korean Civil War movie where Americans are worshipped).

[wideawake]

You seem to labor under the illusion that:

(1) There are no cheesy throwaway pictures made in Japanm, South Korea or China - just the handful of high quality art films that justly become famous internationally.

Not the case.

(2) That Hollywood = the American cinema and

(3) That no American films are competitive in quality with Pacific rim art films.

I would argue that the recent film Capote is superior to at least two of the films you mentioned.

[longtermmemmory]

Gee hollyweird botching history yet again.

[Kirkwood]

I know Asians who also sometimes can't tell the difference just from a picture. From speaking and mannerisms, yes, but acting can overcome these.

Anyway, take the test yourself and see how well you do. I got half right, which isn't too bad

http://www.alllooksame.com/

[LongElegantLegs]

I don't think she plays a Chinese woman; She acts the part of a Japanese Geisha. Hence, no fatal flaw.

[MattinNJ]

Perhaps I overstated my case. I meant to infer that, whether it be a majestic period piece (Flying Daggers), a psychological thriller (Sympathy), or a horror movie (Audition), Hollywood's best can't touch Asia's best.

Having said that, I saw a great German movie over the weekend and highly recommend it. "Der Tunnel" tells the true story of a champion swimmer from Berlin who escapes East Germany as the wall is being built in August 1941. He tries to go back and get his sister out. Hollywood would never make a movie like that because it shows communism in it's true form. It really should be mandatory viewing for everyone 35 and younger because they have no idea what communism was.

[Fee]

Actually movies like Godzilla gives the Japanese the impression that they have a military with a mission (did you ever see some of the weapon systems displayed in Godzilla movies). Just like James Bond movies give Brits the impression that they are a major world power on par with the US and USSR.

[Fee]

You ever seen the historical films made on the Opium War and other European transgression on Imperial China during the Maoist period. They had Chinese actors made up to look like Europeans. It was very interesting to watch because in the 1930's Hollywood had white actors made up to look like Chinese (Foo Manchu, Charlie Chan, etc, etc). Neither did a good job, but fun to watch.