# Memoirs of a Geisha

> 2005 film directed by Rob Marshall

**Wikidata**: [Q45839](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q45839)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memoirs_of_a_Geisha_(film))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/memoirs-of-a-geisha

## Summary
Memoirs of a Geisha is a 2005 film directed by Rob Marshall, based on Arthur Golden's 1997 novel of the same name. The film stars Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li, and Ken Watanabe, and explores themes of love, sacrifice, and cultural identity in 1930s Japan. It received critical acclaim for its cinematography, costume design, and production values, earning several Academy Award nominations.

## Key Facts
- **Release Dates**: November 29, 2005 (limited release), December 9, 2005 (United States), January 19, 2006 (Japan), December 10, 2005 (UK), December 16, 2005 (Germany).
- **Director**: Rob Marshall.
- **Based On**: Arthur Golden's 1997 novel *Memoirs of a Geisha*.
- **Starring**: Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li, Ken Watanabe, Michelle Yeoh, and Youki Kudoh.
- **Production Companies**: Columbia Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Spyglass Entertainment, and Amblin Entertainment.
- **Countries of Origin**: United States.
- **Awards and Nominations**: Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Academy Award for Best Production Design; National Board of Review: Top Ten Films.
- **Genres**: Drama, Romance.
- **Runtime**: 154 minutes.
- **Budget**: $85 million.
- **Box Office**: $162,242,962 (worldwide), $57,490,508 (US and Canada), $10,974,880 (Japan), $5,748,508 (Germany).
- **Ratings**: 5.4/10 (IMDb), 36% (Rotten Tomatoes), 54/100 (Metacritic).
- **Wikipedia Sitelinks**: 48 language editions.
- **Wikidata ID**: Q11424.
- **IMDb ID**: tt0397535.
- **Freebase ID**: /m/0drnwh.
- **MusicBrainz Release Group ID**: 810357.
- **Google Books ID**: XX5290716.
- **Library of Congress Authority ID**: n2005057851.
- **VIAF ID**: 201891933.
- **GND ID**: 7528031-0.
- **Amazon Standard Identification Number**: B000I9YUYU.
- **Box Office Mojo Film ID**: 28572.
- **Allociné Film ID**: 1311690.
- **Cineplex Film ID**: 36427.
- **Douban Film ID**: 1311690.
- **EIDR Record ID**: 10.5240/3F95-2D44-E5D4-5BCB-877B-N.
- **Filmweb Film ID**: 112968.
- **HKCinemagic Film ID**: 1904.
- **IMVBox Film ID**: 392057.
- **KinoPoisk Film ID**: 706720.
- **MovieWalker Film ID**: 87668.
- **OFDB Film ID**: 1904.
- **Rotten Tomatoes Film ID**: m/memoirs_of_a_geisha.
- **The Movie Database (TMDb) ID**: 14063893.
- **TV.com ID**: 28572.
- **Twitter Username**: memoirsofageisha.
- **Wolfram Language Entity ID**: Entity["Movie", "MemoirsOfAGeisha::cnzm5"].
- **YouTube Movie ID**: UC8kQ6wQ7m0.
- **BabelNet ID**: 00034471n.
- **BFI Film & TV Database Work ID**: 5d77682a880197001ec91520.
- **CineClick Film ID**: 258180.
- **Cineplex Film ID**: 36427.
- **Douban Film ID**: 1311690.
- **EIDR Record ID**: 10.5240/3F95-2D44-E5D4-5BCB-877B-N.
- **Filmweb Film ID**: 112968.
- **HKCinemagic Film ID**: 1904.
- **IMVBox Film ID**: 392057.
- **KinoPoisk Film ID**: 706720.
- **MovieWalker Film ID**: 87668.
- **OFDB Film ID**: 1904.
- **Rotten Tomatoes Film ID**: m/memoirs_of_a_geisha.
- **The Movie Database (TMDb) ID**: 14063893.
- **TV.com ID**: 28572.
- **Twitter Username**: memoirsofageisha.
- **Wolfram Language Entity ID**: Entity["Movie", "MemoirsOfAGeisha::cnzm5"].
- **YouTube Movie ID**: UC8kQ6wQ7m0.

## FAQs
**What is Memoirs of a Geisha about?**  
The film follows the life of Chiyo Sakamoto, a young Japanese girl sold into servitude and trained as a geisha, exploring themes of love, sacrifice, and cultural identity in 1930s Japan.

**Who directed Memoirs of a Geisha?**  
The film was directed by Rob Marshall, known for his work on *Chicago* and *Nine*.

**What awards did Memoirs of a Geisha win?**  
It won Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, and Best Production Design, and was named one of the National Board of Review's Top Ten Films.

**Who stars in Memoirs of a Geisha?**  
The film features an international cast, including Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li, Ken Watanabe, Michelle Yeoh, and Youki Kudoh.

**How was Memoirs of a Geisha received critically?**  
The film received mixed reviews, with praise for its visuals and performances but criticism for its pacing and cultural representation. It holds a 36% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

**What is the historical context of Memoirs of a Geisha?**  
Set in 1930s Japan, the film portrays the declining world of geisha during a period of rapid modernization and political change.

## Why It Matters
Memoirs of a Geisha is significant for its visual and technical achievements, earning three Academy Awards and showcasing the artistry of its production design, cinematography, and costumes. It also sparked discussions about cultural representation and authenticity in Hollywood adaptations of non-Western stories. The film's portrayal of geisha culture, while visually stunning, faced criticism for its perceived exoticization and historical inaccuracies. Despite controversies, it remains a notable example of cross-cultural storytelling in cinema, highlighting the complexities of adapting nuanced cultural narratives for global audiences.

## Notable For
- **Academy Awards**: Won three Oscars for Cinematography, Costume Design, and Production Design.
- **Cultural Representation**: Sparked debates about the portrayal of Japanese culture and the geisha tradition in Western media.
- **International Cast**: Featured a mix of Chinese, Japanese, and Malaysian actors, reflecting the complexities of pan-Asian representation in Hollywood.
- **Technical Achievements**: Recognized for its lush visuals, intricate costumes, and detailed production design, which transported audiences to 1930s Japan.
- **Controversies**: Criticized for historical inaccuracies and the casting of Chinese actresses in Japanese roles, leading to discussions about authenticity in storytelling.

## Body

### Production and Release
- **Director**: Rob Marshall, known for his work on *Chicago* (2002), helmed the film.
- **Release Dates**: The film premiered in limited release on November 29, 2005, followed by wide releases in the U.S. (December 9), Japan (January 19, 2006), the UK (December 10, 2005), and Germany (December 16, 2005).
- **Production Companies**: Collaboratively produced by Columbia Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Spyglass Entertainment, and Amblin Entertainment.
- **Budget and Box Office**: With a budget of $85 million, the film grossed $162,242,962 worldwide, including $57,490,508 in the U.S. and Canada, $10,974,880 in Japan, and $5,748,508 in Germany.

### Cast and Crew
- **Lead Actors**: Zhang Ziyi as Chiyo/Sayuri, Gong Li as Hatsumomo, Ken Watanabe as Nobu, Michelle Yeoh as Mameha, and Youki Kudoh as Pumpkin.
- **Cultural Representation**: The casting of Chinese actresses in Japanese roles sparked controversy, with critics arguing it perpetuated a lack of authenticity and diversity in Hollywood.

### Awards and Recognition
- **Academy Awards**: Won Oscars for Best Cinematography (Dion Beebe), Best Costume Design (Colleen Atwood), and Best Production Design (John Myhre and Gordon Sim).
- **National Board of Review**: Included in the 2005 Top Ten Films list.
- **Other Nominations**: Received nominations for Golden Globe Awards and BAFTA Awards, among others.

### Themes and Reception
- **Critical Response**: The film holds a 36% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising its visuals but criticizing its pacing and cultural representation. Metacritic gave it a score of 54/100, indicating "mixed or average reviews."
- **Cultural Impact**: Sparked discussions about the exoticization of Asian cultures in Western media and the challenges of adapting nuanced historical narratives for global audiences.

### Technical Specifications
- **Runtime**: 154 minutes.
- **Genres**: Classified as a drama and romance film.
- **Ratings**: Rated 5.4/10 on IMDb, with mixed audience reviews.

### Legacy
- **Historical Context**: Portrays the decline of the geisha tradition during Japan's rapid modernization in the 1930s, though critics noted historical inaccuracies.
- **Cultural Debates**: Remains a reference point in discussions about representation, authenticity, and cross-cultural storytelling in film.

### Connected Entities
- **Director Rob Marshall**: Known for musicals and dramas, Marshall's direction emphasized visual spectacle and emotional depth.
- **Novel by Arthur Golden**: The film adapts Golden's 1997 novel, which itself faced criticism for its portrayal of geisha culture.
- **Cast Members**: The international cast, including Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li, highlighted the complexities of pan-Asian representation in Hollywood.
- **Awards and Nominations**: The film's technical achievements were widely recognized, while its cultural representation remained a point of contention.

## References

1. Swedish Film Database
2. Freebase Data Dumps
3. [Source](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2006)
4. The Movie Database
5. Memoirs of a Geisha. Rotten Tomatoes
6. [IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0397535/releaseinfo)
7. [IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0397535/releaseinfo)
8. [Source](https://www.spio-fsk.de/asp/filestream.asp?dir=karte&file=0601%5C104795K%2Epdf)
9. [Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0397535/)
10. [Source](https://www.kijkwijzer.nl/films/memoirs-of-a-geisha/)
11. terjesztesre_kerulo_filmalkotasok_nyilvantartasa.xlsx
12. List of film licenses issued from 1945 to 2020
13. [Source](https://www.cnc.fr/professionnels/visas-et-classification/112968)
14. Online-Filmdatenbank
15. [Source](https://jmkextern.bmb.gv.at/app/detail.aspx?FILID=15351)
16. SoundtrackCollector
17. Bechdel Test Movie List
18. mymovies.it
19. Memoirs of a Geisha
20. [Source](https://ui.eidr.org/view/content?id=10.5240/3F95-2D44-E5D4-5BCB-877B-N)
21. Danish Film Database
22. TheTVDB
23. Trakt.tv
24. FilmVandaag.nl