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Memoirs of a Geisha
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Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 125 | slideshow) Videos (see all 16)
Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) -- Nitta Sayuri reveals how she transcended her fishing-village roots and became one of Japan's most celebrated geisha.
Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) -- Clip: Your Offer
Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) -- Nitta Sayuri reveals how she transcended her fishing-village roots and became one of Japan's most celebrated geisha.
Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) -- Nitta Sayuri reveals how she transcended her fishing-village roots and became one of Japan's most celebrated geisha.
Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) -- Movieplayer.it - Trailer (Flash)

IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
7.1/10   35,024 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Up 7% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Rob Marshall

Writers (WGA):

Robin Swicord (screenplay)
Arthur Golden (book)

Contact:

View company contact information for Memoirs of a Geisha on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

23 December 2005 (USA) more

Genre:

Drama | Romance more

Plot:

Nitta Sayuri reveals how she transcended her fishing-village roots and became one of Japan's most celebrated geisha. full summary | full synopsis

Plot Keywords:

more

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 17 wins & 28 nominations more

User Comments:

Breathtaking from the first scene more (522 total)


Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Suzuka Ohgo ... Chiyo

Togo Igawa ... Tanaka

Mako ... Sakamoto

Samantha Futerman ... Satsu

Elizabeth Sung ... Sakamoto's Wife
Thomas Ikeda ... Mr. Bekku
Li Gong ... Hatsumomo (as Gong Li)
Tsai Chin ... Auntie
Kaori Momoi ... Mother

Zoe Weizenbaum ... Young Pumpkin
David Okihiro ... Shamisen Teacher
Miyako Tachibana ... Dance Teacher
Kotoko Kawamura ... Granny

Karl Yune ... Koichi

Eugenia Yuan ... Korin
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature subject matter and some sexual content.

Runtime:

145 min | Philippines:140 min

Country:

USA

Language:

Japanese | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Finland:K-11 | UK:12A | Australia:M | Singapore:PG | Ireland:12A | Czech Republic:12 | Sweden:7 | Argentina:13 | Hong Kong:IIA | Germany:12 | Netherlands:MG6 | Malaysia:18PL | Malaysia:U (cut version) | Indonesia:Dewasa | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Brazil:14 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Canada Video Rating/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | France:Unrated | France:U | Singapore:NC-16 (special edition DVD) | Iceland:L | Hungary:14 | South Korea:15 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #41007) | China:(Banned)


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

Steven Spielberg, Brett Ratner, Spike Jonze and Kimberly Peirce all considered directing this film. more

Goofs:

Continuity: When Chiyo apologizes to Mameha about the kimono; when she first bows both sleeves of her kimono are behind her arms but in the next scene when Mameha kneels beside her, the right sleeve is on top of her arm instead of behind it. more

Quotes:

Sayuri Narration: [while little Chiyo is on the train to the hanamachi] My mother always said my sister, Satsu was like wood. As rooted to the earth as a sakura tree... But she told me I was like water... Water can carve its way through stone. And when trapped, water makes a new path. more

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2006) (TV) more

Soundtrack:

Three Little Sisters more


FAQ

What is the instrument that the geisha's were learning to play?
A NOTE REGARDING SPOILERS
Is this movie based on a novel?
more
262 out of 369 people found the following comment useful.
Breathtaking from the first scene, 8 December 2005
9/10
Author: kyaroko from New York

I lived in Japan for 3 years and I loved the book, rich with visual imagery. I went to the see the movie with a good deal of trepidation, convinced that they were going to butcher it and sex it up to appeal to American audiences. Instead I sat spellbound in my seat as I watched the images that Arthur Golden has created in my mind with words years before, play themselves out on the screen in front of me. Every shot, ever scene, every tiny detail was just beautiful. I literally did not look away from the screen the entire time. The acting wasn't spectacular. I think they could have found somebody better to play Sayuri. The children were all wonderful. The stand-out actress by far was Gong Li as Hatsumomo. The villain had the best opportunities to show her skills as a thespian. The plot stuck very closely to the book. They eliminated the scenes that they needed to in the interest of time, but they didn't try to take any shortcuts or speed up the plot. I really felt like the story was played out beginning to end without sacrificing any of the meat. You'll read a lot of reviews in the coming weeks praising the gorgeous photography. Every word is true. Words like "lush" and "exquisite" only begin to do it justice. I've never had the experience of being transported to another time by a movie in quite this way.

Was the above comment useful to you?
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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
HELP! Why do they have more than one name 4 each person? loves_it_gorgeous
Not as good as the book. koomy
Pumpkin did not get her name changed like Sayuri did? loves_it_gorgeous
culturally clueless film based off a culturally clueless book. chrisl84notpia
Did there father know that he... loves_it_gorgeous
What did Mr Bekku actually do? loves_it_gorgeous
more

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