Slowly, streams of blood-red dye begin to appear in a river, representing the bloodshed of World War II. The redness then transforms into long, flowing pieces of beautiful, red kimono cloth.
Some of the most poignant scenes in the upcoming movie adaptation of Arthur Golden’s 1997 best-selling novel “Memoirs of a Geisha,” which previews tonight at the James Bridges Theater, are without words. That was the intent of Oscar-winning film editor Pietro Scalia, whose previous credits include “Black Hawk Down,” “Gladiator” and “Good Will Hunting.”
When Scalia was first approached by director Rob Marshall (“Chicago”) to join the project, he believed the film presented a unique opportunity to emulate the subtle, lyrical and poetic quality characteristic of the work of Japan’s most renowned filmmakers, such as Akira Kurosawa.
“My interest in doing ‘Memoirs’ was partly because I love classical Japanese films,” said Scalia, who will be present for a question-and-answer session afterward. “There’s something particular about Japanese culture in those movies that always created a very powerful drama -- it was the things that were not said, the things that were left out. I approached ‘Memoirs’ in the same way.”
Both Scalia, who earned his master’s from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television in 1985, and Marshall wanted to make a historical romance that was not only compelling, but also authentically Japanese.
The film had its own geisha consultant, as well as a dialect coach, who worked with actors on speaking Japanese-accented English, as much of the starring cast is, in fact, not Japanese. Ziyi Zhang, who plays the protagonist Sayuri, and Gong Li, who plays the cruel geisha Hatsumomo, are both Chinese. Michelle Yeoh, who plays Sayuri’s mentor Mameha, is Malaysian.
Despite the filmmakers’ efforts, the film has received criticism for lacking authenticity. Many have questioned whether non-Japanese actors could correctly portray Japanese culture, but Scalia is quick to defend the casting of the film.
“I don’t think (the fact that several of the actors are not Japanese) takes any validity from the acting,” Scalia said. “Good acting is just good acting. The best ... actors that (Marshall) found, he hired. If you see ‘Doctor Zhivago,’ the actor is Egyptian. Does that take away from Omar Sharif’s performance, that he plays a Russian? Or what about Meryl Streep playing a Polish woman in ‘Sophie’s Choice’? It’s a silly argument.”
Many have also questioned the ability of a Hollywood movie filmed in California to portray the subtleties of the esoteric geisha tradition.
The novel itself, in fact, was criticized by the woman who inspired it. In 2001, former geisha Mineko Iwasaki sued author Golden for millions, alleging the novel was rife with inaccuracies.
In the movie, one dance sequence features Sayuri performing on a raised stage with enough high-tech lighting for a modern rock concert, though the story is set in 1930s Japan.
Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood spent months on research for historical accuracy, but revealed to the Los Angeles Times that the kimonos eventually created differed from real ones – she had decided that the subtlety of actual geisha dress would not have the right impact on film.
Audiences might just have to accept this movie for what it is: a sumptuous Hollywood blockbuster marked by poignant performances, stunning cinematography, elegant costume design and universal themes.
“I hope people go see it because it’s a good story,” Scalia said. “It is a classical story in the sense that it has the Cinderella aspect. It’s very Dickensian.”