Memoirs of a Geisha Blog

Over the summer I read “Memoirs of a Geisha” by Arthur Golden. I highly recommend that you read this book for two reasons. Although the book is fictional it is written as if a real person were telling the details of her life. The events that take place in the story are things that real women in China would have suffered through. This made it all the more enticing for me knowing that what I was reading was not just made up but that many aspects were based on real history. Another reason why I recommend this book is because of how Arthur made it sound as if a real Geisha were writing it. Everything from the language used to the details describing different settings makes it feel as if you are hearing from Sayuri herself.
If I were to cast one character from my book in a movie I would choose Mr. Tanaka. Mr. Tanaka is the reason why Chiyo became Sayuri and embarked on her journey of becoming a geisha. The two met in Chiyo’s home town of Yoroido when Mr. Tanaka helped Chiyo after she had fallen down. I would cast Mr. Tanaka because of his charming characteristics and his ability to take over situations and calm other characters. However, at times one may question his motives to being so kind to Chiyo in the beginning of the book. Is he really looking out for Chiyo’s best interests by sending her away from her hometown or is he hoping to make money and benefit himself. This mysetery is why I would cast Mr. Tanaka in a movie. He can be hard to read and one is never quite sure what to expect of him, ensuring an interesting and entertaining movie.
The opening shot of a movie based on this book would alternate between glimpses of Chiyo’s hometown, “Yoroido” and the district of “Gion”. It would show the many differences between these two places by highlighting the small town feel in Yoroido and the fast paced city life in Gion. By showing Chiyo’s hometown and childhood it would help viewers feel closer to Chiyo from the start so that they would empathize even more for her later in the book.