What is a memoir? "Memoirs of a Geisha" - adaptation of the sensational novel by Arthur Golden

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

It is best to learn about the events that once occurred first-hand, from direct witnesses. And memoirs are one such source. What is it and what do they have to do with one famous film? This is what we will deal with today.

What is a memoir?

This term owes its appearance to France and comes from the word mémoires - "memories". In Russian literature, another meaning was also used - “notes”.

What is a memoir? This is a kind of literary work, a note about events in which the author either took a direct part, or learned about them from the words of eyewitnesses. Memoirs are a special kind of literature. They are able to convey not only the atmosphere of the era, but also the feelings and experiences of the author. Most of all, they are similar to an autobiography, only here, in addition to describing the life of the writer himself, there are important historical events that the author of the memoirs tells about through the prism of his perception.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

In 1997, an American writer published a novel in which he toldthe life story of the Japanese geisha Sayuri Nitta. He took a real-life person, Mineko Iwasaki, as the basis of her image. This is a former geisha who gave an interview to Golden and talked about how girls are trained, about the traditions and customs of this profession.

We have already said what a memoir is. This is a recollection of some event, witnessed by the author. The book tells not only about the little girl Chio, who, by the will of fate, became one of the famous geishas in Japan. "Memoirs of a Geisha" is also the history of the Land of the Rising Sun in the war and post-war years.

Book plot

After the death of his wife, a father is forced to sell his two little daughters. The youngest, Chio, is given to the house where the geishas live. She falls out of favor and becomes a simple maid until she is noticed by the famous geisha Mameha. She takes the girl and begins her training. Now her name is Sayuri Nitta. On the street, a stranger treats a girl to ice cream, and Chio falls in love with him. Having become a geisha, she meets him again. The girl will have to go through many trials: envy, betrayal, need and despair before she finds happiness.

The book "Memoirs of a Geisha" became a bestseller. The romantic story told in it was generously spiced with scenes from the cultural and daily life of Japan, which made it even more interesting for readers.

It was not without scandal. Mineko Iwasaki accused the writer of promising not to reveal her name to the public, but broke his word. In addition, he tookSayuri descriptions facts from her personal life.

Japan's highest paid geisha responded by writing her autobiography, The True Memoirs of a Geisha. In it, she talked about her life, that at the age of five she was sent to Kyoto, where she was adopted by the mistress of a geisha house. Mineko Iwasaki became the most famous and highly paid geisha, which caused envy among many. Her life was successful: she got married and gave birth to a daughter.

Screening of the book

In 2005, based on the famous novel by Golden, the film "Memoirs of a Geisha" was shot. It was directed by Rob Marshall and produced by Steven Spielberg. The picture was ambiguously accepted by critics and viewers from different countries. The main role was played by the Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi, the images of the rest of the geishas were also embodied by the Chinese women. In Japan, the casting caused discontent. But the film "Memoirs of a Geisha" was most criticized in China, since the translators in the title of the film left the Japanese designation of the hieroglyph "geisha", which among the Chinese means a courtesan.

Critics didn't like that Memoirs of a Geisha moved away from the plot of the book, didn't like the casting, and found many factual errors. But the main complaint was that director Rob Marshall, like Arthur Golden, actually equated geishas with courtesans.

Despite many negative reviews, the film received many prestigious awards. Among them are three victories in the Oscar nominations. The audience received the film better than film critics. Despite errors in the descriptionThere are many incredibly beautiful scenes, dances and interesting dialogues in the life of geishas in the film. An interesting fact is that the main location of the events in the film - the Gion area - was recreated in Los Angeles. The construction of the scenery took a large part of the budget of the picture.

Conclusion

Answering the question about what memoirs are, we can say that this is a literary genre that can be very interesting. Especially if Japanese geisha tell their life story against the backdrop of famous world events.