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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The casting director for "Memoirs" told me that the
decision to use the Chinese actresses was mainly box office calculation --
they are among the few Asian names the American audience knows. They have also
demonstrated their ability to handle English -- essential for an
all-English project like this. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>In addition to Watanabe, Yakusho Koji and Kudo Yuki
have been cast, which may make the film more acceptable to the Japanese
audience. Also, she quite likes what she has seen of Marshall, saying that he
is enthusiastic and sincere. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>One problem is that, even with the best dialogue
coaching, the Chinese are probably going to sound "off" to anyone who knows what
a real Japanese accent sound like. This may matter more to
Japanophiles than the multiplex masses, though.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>More seriously, the Japanese industry people I have
spoken with about the film are angry and disappointed that so many of the
geisha roles are going to foreigners. "It's an insult, really," one told
me. It's somewhat like a Japanese producer casting Jean Reno as a
cowboy, thinking that no one is going to object in the target market
-- Japan. Americans might, however -- especially if the cowboy is supposed
to be an All-American Clint Eastwood type. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>And what is more All-Japanese than a
geisha? </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>In other words, the "Memoirs" people are
asking for commercial disappointment, if not disaster, in Japan. After "The Last
Samurai" grossed $127 million here -- more than it earned in the States --
casting Japanese stars in Japanese roles you would think that Hollywood might
have learned something. Guess not -- the wheel is still being re-invented as we
speak.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Mark Schilling </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=macfugu@mac.com href="mailto:macfugu@mac.com">JAG</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
href="mailto:KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu">KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, August 30, 2004 2:30
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: They all look the
same...</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR></DIV>I
wouldn't give up hope that there might be something of interest besides the
sideshow. <BR><BR>A Kyoto friend who's becoming something of an expert on
geisha, spent about a week in July helping Rob Marshall and a small crew scout
Kyoto locations and somebody from the art department buy properties (hair
ornaments, jewelry, etc). My friend said he was especially struck by the 'eye'
of the buyer and the command Marshall had over his crew, seemingly largely due
to his earnestness. <BR><BR>He also said that the plan is to only shoot in
Kyoto for about two weeks some time around November.<BR><BR>It is sad that so
many of the Japanese roles are not being played by Japanese. I would be
interested to hear other members' speculation why this is so. Is it just name
recognition? <BR><BR>Anyone care to offer their propositions for Japanese
actors to fill the roles?<BR><BR>John <BR><BR>Update on myself: Last year I
learned of the list while getting an MA in Film Studies in Dublin. (Thanks
again to all who helped in my reseach.) I'm now teaching mainly eikaiwa at
Kyoto area universities, trying to do more with Film Studies and hoping to at
least dabble in production. (Until I fill out my schedule, I'm also putting
the experience gained in Ireland to good use, working in an Irish Pub in Gion,
through which many interesting characters pass. Stop in if you're in town and
I'll pull you a pint.)<BR><BR><?/smaller><BR>On Aug 29, 2004, at 7:49 PM, Mark
Mays wrote:<BR><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?smaller><?x-tad-smaller>Yeah, did
you expect any more from them? On the other hand, maybe some great
controversy will erupt from it all and provide some interesting side show.<?/x-tad-smaller><?/smaller><?/fontfamily></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE><BR><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?x-tad-smaller>----- Original
Message -----<?/x-tad-smaller><?/fontfamily><BR><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?x-tad-smaller><?/x-tad-smaller><B><?x-tad-smaller>From:<?/x-tad-smaller></B><?x-tad-smaller>
<?/x-tad-smaller><?color><?param 0000,0000,EEEE><?x-tad-smaller>Mark Nornes<?/x-tad-smaller><?/color><?x-tad-smaller> <?/x-tad-smaller><?/fontfamily><BR><B><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?x-tad-smaller>To:<?/x-tad-smaller><?/fontfamily></B><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?x-tad-smaller>
<?/x-tad-smaller><?color><?param 0000,0000,EEEE><?x-tad-smaller>KineJapan<?/x-tad-smaller><?/color><?x-tad-smaller>
<?/x-tad-smaller><?/fontfamily><BR><B><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?x-tad-smaller>Sent:<?/x-tad-smaller><?/fontfamily></B><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?x-tad-smaller>
Sunday, August 29, 2004 7:40 PM<?/x-tad-smaller><?/fontfamily><BR><B><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?x-tad-smaller>Subject:<?/x-tad-smaller><?/fontfamily></B><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?x-tad-smaller>
They all look the same...<?/x-tad-smaller><?/fontfamily><BR><BR>A few years
ago, Spielberg was interviewed in the midst of preproduction for Memoirs of
a Geisha. The reporter describes costume designs for the film's kimono
spread out over a table, and admires all the elaborate images of dragons
decorating the costumes. Ever since that moment, I've been looking forward
to how cheesy the final film would be. Looks like I won't be disappointed.
The dragon motifs foreshadowed the casting: Watanabe Ken will be joined by
Zhang Ziyi, Michelle Yeoh, and Li Gong.
<BR><BR>Markus<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>