Memoirs of a Geisha

1.       From the movie I learned that geisha practice being walking forms of art by wearing traditional clothing, using traditional make up, perfecting fan dancing, having artful hairstyles, and being able to hold intellectual conversations.

2.       I like when the snow has just melted but there is still some piles of dirty snow. This aesthetic is in line with the Japanese concept of aware because it appreciates a wilted, weathered, and subtle beauty.

3.       I think it lost moments of ma but not aware. It lost ma because when the film is in English the American viewer assumes that all the important information will be communicated verbally; therefore, the viewer is not looking for the meaning of silence or subtle body language. However, I do not think that it lost aware because of the visual quality of the movie. For example, the overall color palette switches between scenes of high saturation and scenes of muddy neutrals; and this juxtaposition draws attention to moments of aware.

4.       In America, one event that celebrates the seasons is July 4^th . Even though this celebrates the history of America, it is the first summer holiday. This day is celebrated by common summer pastimes, such as cooking out, swimming, and back yard sports. If this were a Japanese holiday the celebration would call attention to the fact that it was summer rather than just being a product of summer.

5.       The end scene where the man becomes her donna embodies the otogibanashi themes of patience and pity. It shows the patience of the man because he waited for her even though it was unlikely he would be allowed to pursue her because of his friend. It also shows pity because she thought she was going to have to have the other man be her donna. Moreover, their crying shows the emotional beauty of Japanese folklore.

6.       Wabi-sabi describes a visual and emotional beauty of Japanese culture. The book defines this as “emphasis on empty space , lack of ornamental, and quiet.” This was influenced by Buddhism and is expressed through Haiku and Tea Ceremony. Moreover, the book says that the Wabi-Sabi “sense of beauty should not be explicit.”

I find this same approach to art in some Modern and Contemporary American artists, such as Hellen Frankenthaller and Mouris Louis. Both of these artists were working with the soak stain method which involves pouring oil paint onto raw canvas. The result of this method is an image that is about color and simplicity. Also, it I often the type of art that people who do not know art history consider “not to be art”. Therefore it is not explicit, which is how the book defines Wabi-Sabi.

7.        I saw Wabi-Sabi during her first fan dance and during her major preview dance. More specifically, in her spotlight dance her movements were elegant and emotionally charged, but the overall progression of the dance was simple. This drew attention to every more she made. This was also a dramatic dance, especially when it started snowing.  Moreover, this reflects wabi-sabi  because it was dramatic but not too extravagant, and  because it used delicate movement to create complexity.

8.       My favorite scene was the main dance. I thought this was a powerful moment of human expression. I was somewhat shocked by the ending of the movie. Even though it was foreshadowed that they were going to end up together I thought the other guy was going to be her donna. If this were an American movie, the scene of him becoming her donna would have been filled with action as opposed to a quiet cry.