Customer Reviews

Secret Life of Geisha [VHS]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I picked up my own copy of this film the moment I heard about its release on video. Being a person who has studied this life for the past 2 years I am interested in anything Geisha.

So what did I think?

Well, this film was definitely informative and it was nice to finally see Arthur Golden on camera and being interviewed after missing his appearance in Chicago. It was also nice to Ms. Liza Dalby and hear of her thoughts on this world. But, surprisingly I was unimpressed with this film. It carried no mystery to it. It was full of foreigners explaining and showcasing away a life life that should of left something to the imagination. There was an anoyying saxophone that was the central instrument, instead of the genlte Shamisen or flute.

Even when interviewing a Maiko or Geisha there would be a very loud English narration/translation over the top of it, drowning out any real voice the Geisha might present herself.

This documentary had a name, and that name was A&E and with that name came an expensive budget, a star to narrate (Susan Sarandon) and a loss of any real mystique over a life that should of in many aspects remained quiet.

This documentary should've been told by the geisha and narrated by a geisha.

What was grossly mis-represented was the fact of Geisha and marriage. Infact Susan Sarandon said, along with Liza Dalby that Geisha do not marry. Well, Geish most certainly marry and in fact happens quite frequently. Many geisha would like to be married to their Danna (or patron). This was one of many aspects of this film that was upsetting to hear and see.

If you want to see a film that hints about the Geisha life but does not pull the veil completely, buy the documentary "Hidden Women: The Secret Life of Geisha directed by James M. Prater." The film is a ten minute short, but the voices that tell of this life is a Japanese Classical dance instructor and the story of a real Geisha, YUKYO.

A.S.

After reading Memoirs of A Geisha a year ago, I became obsessed with Geishas and Japanese culture altogether. Since I didn't have A&E on my basic cable system, I was disheartened to have missed this documentary when it was first shown. Discovering that it was available to the public here on Amazon, I quickly snatched it up. I was extremely excited to hear firsthand what Liz Dalby (author of Geisha which I also have read) had to say on film, along with Arthur Golden (author of Memoirs of a Geisha). I was completely fascinated throughout the entire video. It is a shame that the Japanese today aren't investing their time, much less interested in preserving their culture. Geishas are a national treasure to Japan and they are losing out to technology, materialism and self-absorbtion. I would hate to see this part of Japanese history and culture go the way of the dinosaurs.

I saw this video on television last night and was utterly captivated and had to order the video immediately. I live in Japan and felt it showed a side of Japanese culture that few outsiders are able to learn about, much less experience. But in addition to the documentary on lifestyles of the geisha, I was equally fascinated by seeing in-depth conversations with Liza Dalby, who wrote "Geisha," an anthropological study, as well as with Arthur Golden, who wrote the novel, "Memories of a Geisha." They are much more interesting in and of themselves than I had expected! Particularly I liked watching Liza Dalby go back to visit the house where she became the first westerner ever to receive geisha training. Her Japanese behavior was flawless! This video was interesting from beginning to end.

Until the publication of "Memoirs of a Geisha" by Arthur Golden very little was known about the life of the Geisha by the American public. Military men from World War II came back with stories of geisha who were thought to be nothing more than Japanese prostitutes. Such an image is thoroughly ingrained in the American psyche as to who and what a geisha is. This documentary, narrated by Susan Sarandon, examines the social and cultural evolution of Japan's most guarded secret, the geisha. Shrouded in mystery for untold centuries we finally get a look at these women who are paid companions and confidants of the men they serve and entertain.

Liza Dalby, an anthropologist and the first foreign geisha, along with Arthur Golden guides us along this journey of exploration into a subculture totally inhabited and controled by women. Geisha are women of grace, are artistically adept in dance and song and are great conversationalists. They cater exclusively to the needs and egoes of men. The end goal is not sex as it would be for a prostitute but enabling the man to have a highly good time. And he will pay dearly to have the honor in being in their company. Geisha are Japan's national icon of the cultured Japanese women.

Throughout the documentary we see the growth and stagnation of the geisha, the training, the impact of their alliance with political figures and their struggle for survival through the second world war and modern culture. We hear the voices of the Geisha's themselves describing their lives and how it feels to be part of a tradition that is grasping for survival.

Anyone who is ignorant about Geisha or are curious about this subgroup would be more than enlightened about these group of women. Probably the only negative thing that can be said is that there were no Japanese voices of young women who feel that geisha are an anachronism. Nor did anyone give a critique of the sexual exploitation of women no matter how beautiful the art. Those of the west telling the story seemed ambivilent. They believe that this is an art that is dying out and should perhaps be preserved. Yet they ignore the changing times of Japan and its impact on women. Whether Geisha survive in the 21st century intact as it is or in another form is anyone's guess. Viewing this film opens the possibilities for its continued life.

This is an interesting look into the life of the modern day Geisha. I highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in this secretive underworld. Steeped in tradition, the Geisha is a living paradox: Incredible beauty, the ultimate symbol of prestige, operating under a code of silence and borderline abusive conditions for the girls. This documentary features interviews with modern Maiko (apprentice Geisha) as well as an overview of the history and a look at some of the changes over the past century. Author Arthur Golden ("Memoirs of a Geisha") speaks about his rare outsider's peek into this closed and exotic world. Beautifully shot, with lovely voiceover work by Susan Sarandon.

If you teach Memoirs of a Geisha, show this video!

In fall of '02, I taught Memoirs in my freshman English class of non-English majors. Few of them had any concept of geishas (outside of the label on a can of mandarin oranges).

Reading the book opened their minds to the geisha, but seeing the video opened their eyes. They (and I) saw the kimono, the makeup, the hair, the dance and the grace that we had just read about in the book. The video really supplements the book, especially if this is the closest you will come to visiting Gion.

One word of warning - Golden (with his name and the book title) appears quite often. This makes me wary of connections between his publishers and A&E (the makers of the video). At times, it seemed like an ad for the book.

A very comprehensive work on the world of the Geisha. The format is understandable. Various perspectives of geisha life were represented such as that of the client, the geisha mother, the young geisha in training and the modern accomplished geisha: this was very enlightening and shed great insight into traditional Japanese culture. Some of the comments made by the male American author seemed a little too steeped in Western preoccupation with sex, but overall the film was very informational and sincere. A great film to show to high school students studying world cultures.

"The Secret Life of Geisha" is not going to surprise or amaze anyone who has done a bit of research on Geisha, say by reading Liza Dalby's book "Geisha" or Mineko Iwasaki's autobiography "Geisha : A Life." However, to those uninitiated who still believe that Geisha are some sort of high-class prostitute, then perhaps a secret or two might be unveiled.

This video is a pretty standard A & E presentation, with interesting interviews and stimulating visual images. The approach seems to very much be "How Westerners approach Geisha" rather than "How Japanese approach Geisha," as the majority of people interviewed seem to be Westerners such as Liza Dalby, Arthur Golden and western patrons of Geisha. Granted, Liza Dalby deserves to be interviewed on any such presentation, but it did come off a little bit too much like an add for Golden's "Memoirs of a Geisha," a book of dubious authenticity. Although he was used as a primary source, there was no mention of Mineko Iwasaki's lawsuit against Golden for mis-representing her life story in his book.

The nicest thing about a video such as this, as opposed to a book, is the ability to see the costumes and beauty of Geisha in living color, moving around in kimono and dancing and playing their instruments. Geisha are very visual, and a video brings this out better than a book. Susan Sarandon's narration was a bit distracting, and I would have preferred a Japanese narrator, as well as subtitling of the Geisha rather than over-dubbing.

Also missing from the video is that, in modern Japan, women also attend Geisha parties, with the staff of a school perhaps hiring a Geisha and a few Maiko to entertain both genders during a particularly special occasion. The only time I have been to a Geisha party has been mixed-gendered, and it is not unusual in modern Japan.

Still, with few videos of this sort around, for all it's flaws "The Secret Life of Geisha" is worth watching by anyone who is interested in Geisha. Just don't use it as your primary source of information regarding this fascinating world.

well... the way this video was made was excellent. it didnt seem boring or particularly poor in its artistic presentation either. the music background is very enticing to the ears.. and the information are well chronologically organized, as well as the stories of many geisha who have made their sacrifice thru enduring this difficult way of life.

difficult yet beautiful, female who are respected in utmost society as works of art.

get this video, you'll enjoy it well, and will nod your head,...

the only reason why this is getting a four star is because it focused more on history whilst I looked for the specific objects, occasion of geisha.. both past and modern.

it's a great film.

I first saw this special when it aired on A&E. Being fascinated by the geisha culture of Kyoto and having read every book on the subject in print, I was eager to see what new information it might provide me.

Sadly, there wasn't much new to me in this video. However, for the beginner, it is a suitable primer to geisha culture.
The firsthand behind-the-scenes look into the geisha districts is also worthwhile for geisha scholars of any stripe.

It was interesting to see Liza Dalby (the only American -- or any foreigener for that matter -- to become a geisha) and hear her speak on the subject, though she provided no information that was not to be found in her excellent book "Geisha" or any other recent books on the subject. Still, for the beginner it may well be a trove of new knowledge.

Arthur Golden, the author of the novel "Memoirs of a Geisha," also speaks throughout the program; however, and perhaps this was due in part to the way the show was edited, he came across as somewhat pervy, between the discussion about geisha and sex and his smirking about the eroticism of the maiko's momoware hairstyle.

The most annoying aspect of the production to me was the narration by Susan Sarandon. Her pronunciation was terrible [I'm sure she doesn't speak Japanese, but couldn't they have either found someone familiar with the language or coached her a little more in the way to say the words?] and she often sounded stilted or forced in her attempt to cultivate a pleasing voice for the narration.

Overall, this may not be the finest look into the life of geisha, but it's servicable and deserves a look if you take an interest in the subject matter.