After you see the film Memoirs of a Geisha, please respond to the questions belo
ID: 3502785 • Letter: A
Question
After you see the film Memoirs of a Geisha, please respond to the questions below in an essay format Please, describe specifically the characters and how do you view them. In addition, try and find out the symbolism in the use of color, screenshots, camera angles and film direction. You should be analyzing the film, not retelling the story. The essay sould be 1500 words Use the questions below to include and answer in your essay Characters/Dialogue -Who are the main characters in the film? Are they round or flat? What character traits can you ascribe to them? Do they seem realistic to you? Is there a lot of dialogue in this story? When characters speak, what does it say about them? Plot-How is the story planned? Is there a lot of action in the story? What is the conflict(s)? Structure -How is the film assembled? Is the story told in chronological order? Or is a different method used (i.e. flashback)? Idea/Theme-What does the story mean? Was there a significant occurrence that the director included? Why is that important? What ideas or themes does the film show? Irony-Is there any verbal, situational, or dramatic irony in the film? Symbolism -Have you noticed any object, place, or person who seems particularly symbolic? What is that object/place/person symbolic of? Are the symbols contextual or cultural?Explanation / Answer
Memoirs of a Geisha (The movie)
Detailed Analysis of characters, motifs, and symbolism
Memoirs of a Geisha is a movie that received acclaim at the box office and mixed reviews from critics. It revolves around the makings of a Geisha and the sacrifices that they have to endure in order to live the life of a Geisha.
The characters
The main characters in the story are Chiyo Sakamoto or Sayuri Nitta (The Geisha), Hatsumomo, the antagonist, The Chairman - love interest, Nobu - the unrequited love, Mameha - the trainer, Pumpkin - the friend, there are other characters that are important to the movement of the story such as the parents, the general and the Baron.
Protagonist - Character Arc
Each of these characters can be associated with someone we meet in our life every day. Chiyo could be you or me and how we face our obstacles. It need not necessarily be as bad as her situation but each of us fights our own battles. Her character shows how important the qualities of perseverance and endurance is. It also stresses the importance of patience and kindness. She is beautiful and is made to suffer for it. She does not like her situation and cries about it. When she sees that being a Geisha could help her meet with the Chairman, she decides to be one, even though she does not like the lifestyle. She does not have a choice in whether or not to be a Geisha. The only choice she has is whether to survive or struggle. Being a Geisha could help her survive, therefore she chooses to survive and works on becoming a Geisha. She perseveres and becomes one of the best. When war strikes, her newfound advantage is stripped. She has had to run away and work for someone. Here too, she works for survival. She perseveres. She honors friendship by agreeing with Nobu to impress Derricks even though she does not like the Geisha lifestyle and does not want to come back to it.
Other Characters
The character traits associated with each of these characters is unique but is also common. All of the assisting characters are selfish and look out for their own interest first. It is all about survival of the fittest in the setting. It does seem realistic, for in real life all of us are indeed self-centered when there is a dearth to satisfy basic needs. The parents give up Chiyo to a proprietress of a Geisha house. This does not indicate that they don't love them, it shows that they hope at least the children live on to escape from the poverty that they are facing.
The friend, the proprietress and the rival Hatsumomo are all concerned with their own lives. The mother and pumpkin nurture Chiyo because it is beneficial for them and Hatsumomo is threatened because of Chiyo's beauty which may lead her to get replaced.
Traits
When Chiyo plans on escaping the Okiya and saves Satsu from the brothel she was sold to, she is caught and reprimanded. No further Geisha training and is treated as a slave to pay off debts. In spite of all this, Chiyo lives on, she is adjusting to her current situation which has no concept of free will involved. It depicts how innocence and vulnerability are exploited for financial gain. Also, the efforts that Chiyo takes to track down Satsu (her sister) and her parents show that she has perseverance.
In spite of all the hardships she faces, Chiyo is determined to become a Geisha, which seems to be the only escape even though that is specifically what has been tormenting her. Over the course, she impresses people with her dancing skills, beauty and is adopted by Mameha. This shows that she is willing to work with what she's got.
Inspiration at times of darkness
Chiyo wants to be loved and cared for and it is evident from her scene with the Chairman. There is love kindled and she wishes to be with him. Nobu's love advances are rejected by her and when she is exploited by the Baron she is helpless, for she is a Geisha. This shows how vulnerable the lifestyle is.
Chiyo successfully becomes Sayuri, a fully transformed Geisha and is very popular. This leads to Hatsumomo losing her wits and getting thrown out of the Okiya.
Friendship & Love
Yet again, Sayuri's career is cut short because of the war and she returns to work with an old friend of Nobu's. This shows that she wants to survive and is willing to work. She does not want to return to the Geisha lifestyle but is willing to help Nobu with impressing Derricks. She is betrayed by Pumpkin when trying to deceive Nobu by being with the colonel. Pumpkin brings the Chairman instead. This shows how much Pumpkin feels betrayed by Chiyo because she was the one who got adopted by Mameha.
The final reveal of how the Chairman knew all along about Chiyo and her desire to be Sayuri shows that there are love and hope. She is reunited and hopes to spend a life worthy of love.
Conclusion
The story is planned and revolves around Chiyo and how she faces her situations. The allegation of theft leave her hurt and her meeting with the chairman as a young girl inspires her to be a Geisha. Her character is symbolized with water, she flows and fits her herself to the situations that she faces. She can be still but can use her force to wreak havoc. The primary theme of using sex as a tool is inferred here. She is flexible and adaptable. The inference of water is because, though it has its own ways, it cannot choose where it goes. Chiyo could not choose but she takes her chances as a Geisha.
The main motif of the story is endurance and the power of it to overcome obstacles. Patience and kindness are also stressed. The movie is made visually very appealing and is good at bringing out the character arc of the protagonist. The irony in the film is that Chiyo initially hated being bought to become a Geisha, but in the end, her abilities as a Geisha is what led her to the Chairman. The symbol of water that is referenced often is cultural and is significant in the Japanese culture. Water denotes flexibility and adaptability, both of which suit Chiyo's characterization.