What are memoirs? "Memoirs of a Geisha" - a screen version of the acclaimed novel by Arthur Golden

About the events that happened once it is best to learn first-hand, from immediate witnesses. And memoirs are one of those sources. What is this and how do they relate to one famous film? In this and we will understand today.

What are memoirs?

By its appearance this term is due to France and comes from the word mémoires - "memories". In Russian literature, another meaning was used: "scraps".

What are memoirs? This is the kind of literary work, a note about events in which the author or took direct part, or learned about them from the words of eyewitnesses. Memoirs are a special kind of literature. They are able to convey not only the atmosphere of the era, but also the feelings and experiences of the author. Most of all they look like an autobiography, only here, apart from describing the life of the writer himself, there are important historical events about which the author of memoirs tells through the prism of his perception.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

In 1997, an American writer published a novel in which he told the story of the life of the Japanese geisha Sayuri Nitta. As the basis of its image, he took a real person - Mineko Iwasaki. She is a former geisha who gave an interview to Golden and talked about how girls are trained, about the traditions and customs of this profession.

We have already said that such memoirs. This is a memory of an event that the author witnessed. The book tells not only about the little girl Cio, the will of fate that became one of the famous geishas in Japan. "Memoirs of a Geisha" is also the history of the Land of the Rising Sun in the military and post-war years.

The plot of the book

After the death of his wife, the father is forced to sell two little daughters. The youngest, Cio, is given to the house where the geisha live. She falls into disgrace and becomes a simple servant, until she notices the famous geisha Mameha. She takes the girl and starts her training. Now her name is Sayuri Nitta. On the street, the girl is treated to ice cream by a stranger, and Chio falls in love with him. Becoming a geisha, she meets him again. The girl will have to go through many trials: envy, betrayal, need and despair, before she finds happiness.

The book "Memoirs of a Geisha" became a bestseller. The romantic story told in it was generously flavored with scenes from the cultural and everyday life of Japan, which made it even more interesting for readers.

Not without scandal. Minako Iwasaki accused the writer of the fact that he promised not to disclose her name to the public, but broke his word. In addition, he took for the description of Sayuri facts from her personal life.

The most highly paid geisha of Japan, in return, wrote an autobiography entitled "The Real Memoirs of a Geisha." In it, she told about her life, about the fact that at the age of five she was sent to Kyoto, where she was adopted by the hostess of the geisha house. Minako Iwasaki became the most famous and highly paid geisha, which caused envy among many. Her life was a success: she married and gave birth to a daughter.

The book's adaptation to the book

In 2005, based on the famous novel by Golden, the film "Memoirs of a Geisha" was filmed. His director was Rob Marshall, and the producer was Steven Spielberg. The picture was ambiguously received by critics and viewers from different countries. The main role was played by the Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi, the images of the remaining geishas were also embodied by the Chinese women. In Japan, the selection of actors aroused discontent. But most of all criticized the film "Memoirs of a Geisha" in China, because the translators in the title of the picture left the Japanese designation of the character "geisha", which in Chinese means courtesan.

Critics did not like that the film "Memoirs of a Geisha" left the plot of the book, did not arrange the selection of actors, and many factual errors were found. But the main complaint was that the director Rob Marshall, like Arthur Golden, actually equated the geisha with the courtesans.

Despite many negative reviews, the film received many prestigious awards. Among them are three victories in the Oscar nominations. The audience took the film better than the film critics. Despite the mistakes in describing the life of the geisha in the picture, there are many incredibly beautiful scenes, dances and interesting dialogues. Interesting is the fact that the main place of events in the film - the area of Gion - was recreated in Los Angeles. To build the scenery, most of the budget picture left.

Conclusion

Answering the question about what memoirs are, one can say that this is a literary genre that can be very interesting. Especially if your life story against the background of world events is told by Japanese geisha.