The Case of Memoirs of a Geisha


In 2005 Rob Marshal directed this big budget film ($85 million) film, produced by Spielberg's company and distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures based on a best selling, novel written by a male westerner focusing on an iconic part of Japanese culture. It seemed the perfect "Pan Asian" product. It has no "white" stars, and was shot is the US. There was huge controversy at the castings of the two Chinese actors Zihi Zhang and Gong Li and other nationalities in this Japanese story. Marshal argues that he was simply hiring the best talent available. Others argued that it showed typical lack of concern by big US money for local traditions and cultures, which could cause huge offense to knowledgeable audience members, and circulate misleading ideas about others culture.


Internet message board message was:


And why am i interested in a movie about a Japanese woman written by a white man directed by a white man? Imagine if a Japanese woman wrote a bock called Memoirs of a Cowboy and it was directed by a Chinese woman. And they decided to cast a Russian guy cos all whites look alike. What a joke.