Memoirs of a Geisha

Could there be a more beautiful movie? I cannot imagine anything exceeding it.

Although separated by time and space, this movie reminds me in many ways of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, of which, of course, there can be no higher compliment. It is about a young lady with love and hope in her heart, and what appears to be unreasonable faith. The protagonist, Sayuri, is faced with the same kind of choice as Jane of P&P: does she compromise her heart's desire to ensure the security of her and those around her?

In contrast to P&P, this movie approaches the question from a more adult angle, and so the choices are less clear cut, and perhaps more difficult. Sayuri comes from a far harder background, with far less support than Elizabeth has, and thus our sympathies, if she chooses to sacrifice herself, are greater. This ia a darker movie, although not so heavy as to be unbearable to watch.

At one point during a confrontation she yells out, "I am worthy!" which I believe is the theme of this movie. She is worthy, and not just because she is the greatest of all Gieshas, but rather become she is a human with hopes and dreams, something that we can all relate to.

There is another element to this movie that is not present in P&P. Jane Austen's world is static. The world of Elizabeth never changes, and thus she has fewer variables to deal with. Sayuri, on the other hand, has to deal with the fact that her world as she knows it is destroyed by war. How does this change the desires of her heart and how she deals with them?

Not only does her world change, but the object of her affection changes. How would Elizabeth have handled the situation if Mr. Darcy had lost eveything he owned. Did she love him enough to chose poverty? Jane never has to make that decision, but Suyuri never flinches.

The similarities in theme between P&P and this movie fascinate me. It shows that despite the distance in time and space, the question of how a lady is to survive in a man's world is universal.