MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA

—1. Overview
—2. Reviews and Blogs
—3. Cast and Crew
—4. Photo Pages
—5. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack
—6. Posters (Japan)
—7. Production Notes (pdf)
—8. Spiritual Connections
—9. Presentation Downloads

Many critics say MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA is all fish heads and spoiled rice. They complain about Chinese actresses playing the three main Japanese characters. They talk about how the kimonos aren’t correct. They note that the selling of a geisha’s virginity is altogether historically inaccurate. Indeed, historical revision is a big problem among filmmakers who feel their agenda is greater than the truth. TITANIC, THE LAST SAMURAI and today’s MUNICH all suffer from excessive artistic license.

And if Westerners (or any audience member for that matter) walks away from GEISHA with a distorted view of Japanese culture or geisha culture, then we all suffer for it. But if GEISHA induces interest in Japanese culture and/or helps the audience have more sympathy for all those trapped in bondage, than it still has merit.

Here’s the story, as originally penned by American Arthur Golden and translated to the silver screen by American director Rob Marshall. In the late 1920s, a poor nine-year-old fisherman’s daughter named Chiyo is sold to a geisha house in Kyoto's Gion district. There, she is subjected to cruel treatment from the owners and the head geisha Hatsumomo (Gong Li).

Chiyo’s only relief is a moment of kindness when she meets an older man simply called The Chairman (Ken Wantanabe). He buys her a flavored snow cone, speaks kindly to her and gives her some money. From that moment on, every move Chiyo makes is to get closer to The Chairman (Ken Wantanabe). One day, Chiyo is rescued by and taken under the wing of Hatsumomo's bitter rival, Mameha (Michelle Yeoh). Under Mameha's mentorship, Chiyo transforms into Sayuri (Ziyi Zhang), a geisha well trained in beautiful artistic and social skills. With her considerable talents, she enters a society of wealth, privilege, and political intrigue. Nevertheless, Sayuri faces the indignities of having her virginity auctioned off and also dealing with romantic advances from not The Chairman but the Chairman’s deformed business partner, Nobu (Kôji Yakusho). As World War II occurs, the world of the geisha forever changes. With years and years of slavery, moments of poverty, forced sexual encounters and mistreatment, Sayuri finally receives the love she has always longed for.

The movie excels in visuals and photography. Everything looks wonderful from the lanterns, housetops, kimonos, face paint and even the Sumo wrestlers. In one scene, Sayui talks with The Chairman among cherry blossoms. The picture is so beautiful; I was distracted and found it difficult to pay attention to the dialogue.

Much has been said of Gong Li’s performance of Hatsumomo. Her fierce countenance and relentless anger creates am antagonistic tour de force. It is the most dramatic and demonstrative role of the female leads here, and so some of her energy seems even greater than it is because all the other ladies play their roles with grace, decorum and reserve. Li deserves commendation, but perhaps not nominations or awards. All other actresses perform beautifully, if only serviceably.

The real star (and the saving aspect of this movie) is the story. It is one of continual struggle eventually leading to a redeeming love. Biblical parallels abound. Most obvious is the Old Testament story of Gomer, who is bought out of prostitution by her husband Hosea. I also think of the Israelites, brought out of slavery by the leading of God through Moses. Without her consent, Sayuri faces a lifetime of slavery and inhumane treatment. Her sorrows compound, until she meets a savior, the Chairman. Though not quite as obvious in the movie as in the book, we come to know that The Chairman frees Sayuri from her bondage. Hence, this story contains great beauty and truth, a reflection of our Savior saving us from bondage and sin.

Going back to all the complaints of GEISHA, I wonder if some people are criticizing the cowboy or gay details of BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. After all, a straight Asian man, Ang Lee, directs that movie. I’m asking, “Is it necessary to have natives make and create stories about native events and cultures?� And, “Does a Japanese director guarantee a better treatment of geisha culture than an American?� After all, even Japanese director Akira Kurosawa was criticized for glamorizing and glossing over his samurai depictions.

The final question is, “ Has Golden and Marshall done America, the West and Japan a disservice by telling this story?� Perhaps, but I think its really a matter of taste and tolerance level if the geisha’s are historically accurate or not. Tell me I have a double standard but I think it’s much more egregious to depict a historical event inaccurately than it is a people group, especially one that is akin to enslaved prostitutes. But let yourself feel the acute sadness and despair of Sayuri and the joy in her eventual triumph, and you’ll find MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA a marvelous tale of redemption and love.

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SENSE AND SENSIBILITY Devotion

Note: In light of the recent release of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, I offer you this devotional based on the 1995 movie SENSE AND SENSIBILITY.

Sense and sensibility (1995)

Surely I have a delightful inheritance. (Psalm 16:6)

Sensible Elinor Dashwood (Emma Thompson) and passionate Marianne Dashwood (Kate Winslet) live in opulent comfort with their mother and father. When Mr. Dashwood dies, however, all his fortunes pass to his eldest son from a previous marriage. In Sense and Sensibility Elinor, Marianne and their mother are left with almost nothing and are forced to rent a small cottage in the country. Further embarrassment heaps upon Elinor and Marianne when their promising romances take a turn for the worse. But their faith and good character, coupled with the goodness of true friends, wins out in the end. The sister discover an inheritance far greater than money can buy: true love to exemplary suitors Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant) and Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman).

God’s word says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.� (Proverbs 13:12). If an unexpected inheritance falls through or another tragedy visits us, it’s hard to believe that there is someone watching out for us with a grand inheritance in hand. God has an inheritance of everlasting peace and fellowship with him. We acquire this at salvation, when we are adopted into His family. And God has no half-daughters or stepsons. We are all his rightful children with access to his riches.

We cannot earn this divine inheritance. It is not a wage, lest the workers boast of their exploits. It is a free gift given from our Father to his offspring. It is a reward for submission and respect. Those who don’t know the Father do no share in this inheritance. The inheritance is for those who recognize that all good gifts are from God and God alone.

Prayer idea: Thank God for counting you as one of His children, eligible for his inheritance.

King Kong Devotion

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—2. Overview Basic (dial up speed)
—3. Reviews and Blogs

Note: In light of the recent remake of Peter Jackson’s KING KONG, I offer you this movie devotional based on the 1933 original.

KING KONG (1933)

Read: Isaiah 11:6 – 9

The Lion will eat straw like the ox. (Isaiah 65:25)
Moviemaker Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) dreams of making the greatest adventure movie of all time. He knows of an island with primitive natives and a large mythical beast. Carl looks for a young female lead actress at a Woman’s Rescue Mission but has no luck. Then he meets a beautiful girl named Ann Darrow (Fay Wray). Ann is accused of theft and tries to get out of it, so Carl sees her as a girl with some spunk. He asks her to act in the picture and she accepts. They travel by boat to the island, see natives chanting “Kong� and start filming. The natives kidnap Ann and offer her as a sacrifice to Kong, an enormous gorilla. First mate Jack Driscoll (Bruce Cabot) rescues Ann, and the sailors capture Kong and take him back to New York. Kong escapes, grabs Ann, and climbs the Empire State Building, only to have his rule of terror ended in a hail of gunfire by flying aircraft.

In this movie, an adventurous man wants an adventurous woman to join him on a grand journey to meet a beast greater themselves. Yet this beast is untamed and dangerous. Similarly, God calls all of us to a grand adventure. When we follow Him, we sometimes experience rough seas, high mountains, prisons, lion’s dens, fires, and even death. The reward at the end is great, but the journey is both harrowing and full of excitement.

In the story The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis, one of the children speaks about the lion Aslan (representing Christ). The child asks, “Is he safe?�

The reply is “Oh no. He is not safe. But he is good.�

God is enormous, all-powerful and certainly unsafe. He is in need of a bride, and that’s us. Are we willing to lay down our lives to be carried off by an unpredictable but totally great God? Are we ready for God to climb to the high places and have him show us his awesome glory? King Jesus wants you in his grip.

PRAYER IDEA: Ask Jesus to forgive you for underestimating the adventure of the untamed Christian life.

King Kong

—1. Overview (multimedia)
—2. Overview Basic (dial up speed)
—3. Reviews and Blogs
—4. Cast and Crew
—5. Photo Pages
—6. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack
—7. Posters
—8. Production Notes
—9. Spiritual Connections
—10. Presentation Downloads

KING KONG really knows how to emote. He’s meaner, louder, and scarier than previous incarnations, but also kinder and gentler too. Fanatics will love that Kong roars and beats his chest yet again in Peter Jackson’s epic retelling of the great ape. Slamming the senses with thrilling action, the movie suffers from some weak dialogue and characterization.

Jackson has said one reason he makes big special-effects laden epics is that he wants to keep his staff employed at Weta. When the need for special effects, dries up, work for his staff dries up. He needs to keep making extensive pictures to feed the mouths of many families.

It seems the mantle of special effects master has been passed from James Cameron and George Lucas to Jackson. Indeed, KONG seems to have as many CGI objects and backgrounds as any STAR WARS picture. All three have suffered from cheesy dialogue. But Jackson is slightly better in creating believable characters. His actors seem to inhabit their roles more convincingly. Here all three leads, Jack Black, as showman and conniver filmmaker Carl Denham, Adrian Brody as the swooning playwright, Jack Driscoll, and Naomi Watts, as struggling actress Anne Darrow emote with game faces and winning enthusiasm. They seem to be really enjoying playing their roles. This positivism goes a long way because their words and dialogue often suffer. It seems Jackson is so preoccupied with the special effects that he forgot about telling a great story with believable speech.

But, the real star of this picture is Kong himself. Andy Serkis, who modeled the mannerisms for RINGS Gollum, creates Kong’s body language and facial expressions that seems authentically simian, but also strangely human. KONG, the ape, strikes the right Anthropomorphist balance.

And, the real story isn’t about Carl or Jack, but about Anne and her platonic love for a 25 foot gorilla. Indeed, Kong is a real man, protecting his woman through thick and thin. (Lots of men could learn a few tricks from this hairy beast.) Some of the biggest thrills occur during the second act on Skull Island, where the other critters, including big bugs and dinosaurs, try to make Anne into their next meal. Kong transfers her from hand to hand to foot as he rolls, dodges, and fights off would-be predators. In fact, the fight sequence where he takes on three, count-em, three T-Rexs is one of the most thrilling action-adventure sequences ever put on film. There are definitely things in Kong that you have never, ever seen in a movie before. Kong possesses some of the very same thrills I first experienced during the opening sequence of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. This is truly a grand-scale action/adventure yarn in the best sense.

What Kong lacks is a hero. Carl is about as big a slime ball as you can get in a movie. Jack loves Anne, and has some honor, but his character mainly seems weak. Even the matinee idol who stars in Carl’s island movie, Bruce Baxter (Kyle Chandler), runs when the pressure mounts. When Kong goes stateside, forget about any meaningful character wrap-ups, it’s all about Kong, his climb to the top of the Empire State Building, and his struggle for survival.

At the end of the movie, Carl laments, “Beauty killed the beast� and we are supposed to give reverential awe to this statement, but it doesn’t muster any emotional punch. It doesn’t register because there is no consistent them in this movie other than women like to be protected and slime ball-capitalists will fail. This is not the sort of film with an austere beauty like TITANIC to keep the teenage girl (or boy) audience coming back again and again. I imagine some teenage boys will see KONG repeatedly for some of the action sequences, but it doesn’t carry the emotional and thematic gravitas of Jackson’s LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy.

Some a spectacle only needs to be a spectacle – something to gawk at and call visually impressive. If you have that kind of expectation going into KONG, you will not be disappointed. But, if you like your epics with more emotional and thematic meat on the bones, you might want to take your appetite elsewhere.

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Michael and Me

I wrote this article directly following The Traverse City Film Festival in Traverse City, MI in July 2005. Founded by controversial writer/director Michael Moore, the festival provided the public easy access to the Oscar winner. This is my story of my attempt to study him and reach him with some Good News.

The five-day long inaugural Traverse City Film Festival just wrapped with nearly 50,000 admissions, 500 volunteers pitching in, the resurrection of a historic downtown theater, and sell-out screenings at most of the festival's 31 films. Documentaries like ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM and GRIZZLY MAN, played along with premiere’s such as BROKEN FLOWERS and foreign films like 1995’s LES MISERABLES. Every night in a city park, free family friendly movies like PRINCESS BRIDE and CASABLANCA played on a portable screen.

Founded by Oscar-winning, ultra-liberal Michael Moore, the event was mired in controversy and it polarized the community. One area resident, Genie Aldrich, brought in the American Film Renaissance group from Texas to hold a counter, protest two-day film festival called The Traverse Bay Freedom Filmfest. They played conservative documentaries like IN THE FACE OF EVIL: REAGAN’S WAR IN WORD AND DEED, and MICHAEL MOORE HATES AMERICA; and they played a premiere drama on teen abstinence called ECHOES OF INNOCENCE.

Three objectives became apparent to me. First, I wanted to find the real mood, culture and intent of each festival. Second, I wanted to give a copy of my book to all the founders and committee members of each film festival, including Michael Moore. (My hope was to encourage the faithful and to lead the unredeemed to an understanding of faith in Christ.) Third, I wanted to observe Michael Moore and draw my own conclusions on how this man behaved in public. I wanted to discover the Michael Moore who isn’t the media Michael Moore, as determined by his own movies and as painted by agenda-driven media organizations.

Weeks before either festival began, the lines were being drawn in the sand. Michael Moore and his crew insisted that they were going to show “just good movies� without any political agenda involved. One editorialist in the local paper said “Michael Moore is a political event.� Michael Moore insisted he wasn’t going to show any of his movies at the TC Film festival. Many conservatives doubted him by saying he has a track record of lying. Some wondered if attending his film festival would somehow encourage him in his own agenda. Others said flat out, “I’m not going.� Further controversy mounted when it was discovered that Genie Aldrich wasn’t a Traverse City resident, and furthermore, she was brining in a Texas group to hold their film festival. (Michael Moore is a Michigan native, but Traverse City isn’t exactly his hometown either. He lives in Antrim county, one county over.) Finally, others were upset that the Traverse Bay Freedom Filmfest was holding blatantly, politically conservative films while Michael Moore was holding “just good films.� Somewhere in all the rhetoric and controversy laid the truth, and I wanted to find it. The festivals hadn’t even started yet and my mission was just beginning.

To cool some of the arguments and to offer some positive hope in the middle of this cinematic quagmire, I submitted the following letter to the editor, which was eventually published prior to both festivals in our local paper, the Traverse City Record-Eagle. “As a movie critic, Christian and author, I’d like to offer a positive Christian perspective to the Traverse City Film Festival. First, I think we should thank Michael Moore and the planning committee for bringing in great and beautiful films, especially ones that celebrate life, family and good storytelling like MAD HOT BALLROOM. Even the more controversial ones can spurn discussion on our purpose under Heaven. Christianity offers answers to such questions. Secondly, I encourage the Christian community to start and offer discussion groups to wrestle with some of the issues raised in the films shown. Thirdly, we should pray for Michael Moore that God would bless him and draw him unto Himself. Doesn’t Jesus say to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you? Third, the Christian community should see the Traverse City Film Festival as an opportunity to show love and compassion to visitors of our city. In years to come, churches and Christian individuals could do all kinds of great things in Jesus name like offer free water and/or housing to attendees. I’m no fan of Michael Moore movies, but Jesus loves him too.�

To achieve my second objective, I carried a book bag full of books around with me wherever I went in case I ran into festival committee members. My biggest prayer was to give a copy to Michael Moore personally. I had heard he was fairly accessible to the public. I was able to give out six copies of my book to committee members of the Traverse City Film Festival, including Michael Moore’s assistant, Jason, and one of the co-founders, local photographer John Robert Williams. One committee member said she’d introduce me personally to Michael Moore, but at the event where I had hoped to do this, he ran off as soon as he was done speaking. The only time I forgot to take my book with me was when he came and introduced a film I attended. Afterwards, he was sitting alone at a chair near the front. I approached him and thanked him for the film festival, but all I could offer him was a handshake. Drat! Thankfully, I have a Christian friend on the TC Film festival committee and he said, “After the film festival, give me the books you couldn’t deliver and I’ll make sure they get in the hands of the other committee members at one of our follow up meetings.� So, I did and I still pray that Michael Moore gets his book. (Incidentally, I know he has read Christian books before because he bought one from a friend and fellow Christian author at one of her book signings.)

Now, the other half of my objective was getting books to the members of the Traverse Bay Freedom Filmfest planning committee. I came waltzing into the door of the venue where they were having their event and the first thing that happens to me is that a security member is checking out my book bag. He asked me to open it up. I obliged and actually, I’m quite thankful, anywhere, these days, to have good security at events that draw crowds. I mention this fact, however, because I never once had my bag checked at the Traverse City Film Festival, even at events where Michael Moore attended. Foolish? Perhaps, given his controversial nature, but also slightly refreshing, a momentary throwback reminder to the days when people could gather without a threat of getting blown-up by some lunatic. Even so, I was able to get my book to Genie Aldrich, and other members of her team. And, they were very thankful. Number two mission - accomplished!

Now, all I had to do was keep trying to find Michael Moore and track his words and behaviors. As a conservative who follows conservative media, I know full well what they think of Michael Moore. I agree with them, politically. I think he has done a terrible disservice to this country by lying and distorting the truth in his movies. To this, I hold him accountable. In the future, if he lies or distorts the truth in his movies, I’ll expose it and condemn it. But I wondered if his private, hometown persona differed from his media image. I wanted to discover the “real� Michael Moore versus the “reel� Michael Moore.

Knowing I couldn’t accurately summarize him in a few brief encounters, I nevertheless wanted to see if 1) he lies at all in public, 2) slams Bush or Republicans in public, 3) says anything “religious� or otherwise revealing his “worldview,� and 4) see how he treats his fellow men both media giants and common. I thought I had heard him lie when he spoke at a free forum in public. Moore said, that the volunteers could see movies for free. Right away, I thought, “That’s a lie.� Because my friend on the film festival committee said that even he couldn’t get in free to the movies. But after checking it out, I found out volunteers could see movies for free, if they got their work done first. So, I repented for my prejudice. As far as I know, nothing else he said as a factual statement turned out to be untrue.

When he claimed that the films in the TC Film Festival were “just good films,� I wanted to see what his definition of good films were. If good means, thoughtful, intelligent, artistic, and not the standard dumbed-down Hollywood fare, than yes, his movies are “good.� I found most of them entertaining and challenging. But, some of the documentaries shown included subtle jabs at conservative politics. ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM blamed Republicans for deregulation of big business and tried to tie a character link with Bush with Ken Lay, the fallen leader of ENRON. CZECH DREAM took stabs at Western consumerism and commercialism (not all bad if you ask me.) Other films like MY SUMMER OF LOVE directly made fun of Christians and it depicted lesbian sex too. Otherwise, many other films also included non-Christian worldviews. To their credit, the TC Film Festival did show the moral worldview movie ITALIAN FOR BEGINNERS, LES MISERABLES and the moral MAD HOT BALLROOM.

Michael Moore did speak at an open to the public forum called “The Traverse City Film Festival. Is it political? Traverse City wants to know.� Early in the talk, Michael Moore said the “F-word� (then apologized), and he went on to say that he, himself, has added to public/media perception of who this Michael Moore is. He then blamed the Left for putting politics before art in their movies. (I immediately thought, “OK? And your films lead with art?) He continued and thanked local Republican congressman Kevin Elsenheimer for writing a letter and endorsing the film festival. He said, “We will be judged by how we treat the poor. The Bible speaks prominently about two things. First, it talks about redemption. Second, it talks about doing good for the poor.� Personally, I was surprised he mentioned the Bible positively.

He then quoted Christ. Remember my letter to the editor? Michael Moore said he was reading the letters to the editor to gauge public perception of the film festival. He echoed what I told him in my letter to the editor by saying to the crowd, “Jesus said, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’� Now, mind you, Michael Moore was talking to mostly libs about how they should treat conservatives, but to use Biblical, gracious language seemed out of character for him. Perhaps God is trying to reach him? Finally, Michael Moore said, “God bless the Traverse Bay Freedom Filmfest people. I welcome their entry into the public debate about what’s good for America.� Again, I was pleasantly surprised by Michael Moore and even asked myself, “Is this the same man who sarcastically ripped on President Bush?�

One final note to Michael Moore’s character. He ran an event called “Mike’s Surprise� where he was going to show a mystery film. Everybody thought he was going to show a rough cut of one of his new films in progress. He got up before the crowd and said “I promised the city council I wouldn’t show any of my films in the film festival, and I won’t this year.� (Note the words, “this year.� Many fear this will become a Michael Moore film fest in years to come, instead of the Traverse City Film Fest.� Moore continued, “In honor of the Traverse Bay Freedom Filmfest and what they are doing over there, I offer you Mike’s Surprise, one of my favorite films of all time, Monty Python’s THE LIFE OF BRIAN.� This movie angered many Christians when it was released for telling the story of a crucified, false messiah in the time of Christ. All this to say, God still has lots of work to do on Michael Moore.

So what are we to do? The TC Film Festival looks poised to be a permanent fixture in Traverse City for many years to come. I repeat what I said in my letter to the editor. We should continue to pray for Michael Moore and the TC Film Festival Committee members. We should analyze and do fair reviews on the films they will show. We do hold discussion groups and bring Christian perspectives to these films. We can organize outreach opportunities to the community because when tens of thousands are gathering anywhere, it means to me, opportunities for service to many people. Furthermore and finally, I applaud the Traverse Bay Freedom Filmfest for sticking up for truth and America. It was a very courageous thing to hold their event at the same time as Michael Moore’s. My only prayer is that as lies are exposed and truth is told, it would be done in a spirit of love. Jesus loves Genie Aldrich, but Jesus also loves Michael Moore and it looks as if Michael is opening his Bible more these days. Let’s not give him an excuse to close it shut.

The Squid and the Whale

The kids are not all right in THE SQUID AND THE WHALE. The Berkman family is breaking up. The parents are getting a divorce and the kids must chose sides. The oldest son Walt (Jessie Eisenberg) echoes his writer/professor father Bernard (Jeff Daniels) and talks down on Philistines, those who don’t appreciate good books or movies. Walt also tells his girlfriend, “You have too many freckles.� Furthermore, Walt passes off a Pink Floyd song as his own both to his parents and at the school talent show.

On the other hand, Walt’s younger brother, Frank (Owen Kline) has more problematic issues. Frank has discovered masturbation and feels free to…ahem…distribute his “results� about the school, on library books, lockers, etc. Clearly, these kids feel uprooted, lost and confused.

It’s not difficult to blame them for their crimes, however, because their parents Bernard and Joan (Laura Linney) are not having an amicable divorce. Bernard feels jealousy over Joan’s recent success as a writer. (She’s having a shot story published in THE NEW YORKER.) His lack of recent success only fuels his desperate, name calling and condescension he feels towards Joan and all who stand in his way. Bernard shares way too much information with Walt about his mother’s indiscretions. So Walt calls his mother a “whore.� Even so, Bernard starts to make advances on one of his students, Lili (Anna Paquin), who has a knack for writing erotic poetry.

Near the end of the movie, Bernard makes an attempt at reconciliation with Joan, but she just laughs it off. She’s content with her dullard new boyfriend and Frank’s tennis coach, Ivan (William Baldwin).

If all this sounds incredibly frustrating, it is. There really is no such thing as an amicable divorce, especially when there are kids involved. Even a short commute to “his� new home provides frustration. And, what to do when a parent wants to have a new lover over? How awkward is that? And, what to do about the family pet? Shuttle it back and forth?

God rightly says “I hate divorce.� This movie shows us why its such a terrible thing. It’s terrible disruptive. It turns the necessity of a stable home life topsy-turvy. It models exactly what NOT to do in representing Christ’s love for the church.

What value is there, then, in seeing THE SQUID AND THE WHALE? Aside from showcasing some stellar acting and dialogue, and offering insight into the New York bohemian lifestyle, the movie presents two cautionary statements. One, don’t divorce without expecting pain. It results in unexpected, unpleasant dividends. Two, (and perhaps unintentionally), don’t use words and education to prove your superiority. Better to be a Philistine with love, than a non-Philistine and use words as weapons to talk down on others less educated or well read than yourself. After all, we are all made in His image.