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Sakuran Reviews
Visually enticing with superb soundtrack.
Sakuran (2006) This Japanese movie is not yet available on DVD here in the U.S. and is often compared to Memoirs of a Geisha (2005). I personally feel that Sakuran is a lot better movie. Perhaps director Mika Ninagawa's amazing visuals are due to the story being based on the Manga, versus Memoirs' being based on the novel. Also, Anna Tsuchiya's character Kiyoha, is a loud-mouthed broad that isn't afraid to tell you what she thinks of you, versus the typical female-playing-victim that we get here in American chick-flicks. Not that she doesn't get her fair share of abuse from the men she meets. She can dish it out as well as she takes it. The movie also is romantic and even a little sentimental. I didn't fully appreciate the more modern mix of music in the soundtrack. It really didn't fit the movie well and was slightly distracting. But, other than that it was an excellent movie and I highly recommend it.
Basically Memoirs of a Geisha done a little more realistic and properly. Extremely colorful, and shot beautifully. It does have a few problems however with how some things are handled but was done to advance the plot (without trying to spoil the main part a real Samurai would have killed them immediately, no questions asked) and although I LOVE Shiina Ringo in some parts her music was treated similar to how Baz Lurhmann does music in his film, not to advance the plot but to appeal to a younger crowd. Worth seeing
Let's get it out of the way first: the cinematography here is gorgeous and really captures this hyper-realist look to the film. It's too bad the first half of the film is pretty meandering. The second half is better and the ending is ALMOST enough to save this from a negative review. However, I think some of the sugarcoating done here of the sex industry is a bit much. For better, gritty, and more realistic takes on the topic, see some Suzuki's films from the 60's like 'Gate of Flesh' or 'Story of a Prostitute'.
A gawdy japanese pop-romance in a similar vein to hollywood Marie Antoinette, but besting Marie-Antoinette in every respect.Sexy and emancipated.
A bit boring, really.
It's pretty....well over gaudy. Nothing happens....too bad. It's not enough to look good. Watch 'Portrait of a Beauty' (a classic) to see where they went so wrong.
Had potential, but didn't really go anywhere. Visually excellent - great cinematography and costumes, beautiful women - but that's about it.
Just 6/10 Weird story... Anna Tsuchiya (åå±< ã,¢ã³ã) is not pretty enough for the role to be convincing nor has enough acting skills... The credit are mostly given to Sheena Ringo (æ¤å??æ-æª)...
Incredible colors vs unpredictable sounds... That was such a delight!!
Lightweight and entertaining. Amazing settings and costumes. Overall very good acting with Anna Tsuchiya in the lead. And a very refreshing use of 20:th century popular music in Edo setting.
The Director did an awesome job. Loved the whole red infatuation, it really gave a very vibrant feel to the movie. Didn't really think much of the plot though, very cliched. I just watched it for the sake of Anna Tsuchiya, and also because of the Memoirs of a Geisha craze.
une merveille visuelle
The film is beautiful to look at, if a little over-indulgent at times. No attempt is made to be true to the period. I don't speak Japanese, and subtitles are always deficient in nuance, but I'm sure the dialog is straight off the streets of contemporary Tokyo and not in any Edo period parlance. The mannerisms and delivery, and even the subtitles suggest this, and it's one of the things about the film I'm undecided about. I'm not generally a fan of costume dramas or period pieces so on the one hand I was interested in seeing this modernized production, but on the other hand I felt a sense of incongruity while watching it. The bold colors of the sets and costumes didn't bother me but the soundtrack is a little odd. Not so much in the style?which swims through many modern genres of pop, rock, and jazz?as in the reverb. The music often doesn't sound like it is in the same size room as the action that is taking place. I like Ringo Shiina's music, have a few of her solo CDs and those of Tokyo Jihen, the band she also plays in. It's not that I think the music is bad, or that it is too terribly out of place. I think the sound design could have been better, and I think that some of the folks who find the soundtrack a little jarring would be less put off by it if more attention had been paid to the overall sound design. I was not won over by Anna Tsuchiya in the lead role. These rock star cum actress types often possess great charisma that passes itself off as good acting in the right context. I'm not sure this is one of them. It felt a little vulgar and somewhere between disappointing and distracting. Tsuchiya is a lot more attractive in her own musical environment than she is in this film. more: <a href='http://sitenoise-atthemovies.blogspot.com/2010/07/sakuran-2006-japan.html' target='_blank'>sitenoise at the movies: Sakuran </a>
Great artisticly executed movie from Mika Ninagawa... I really enjoyed everything she did in this movie set in 18th Century Edo, Japan. Sakuran traces the life of Kiyoha as she ascents from the lowly courtesan ranks to the high class position of Oiran in the steamy red-light district of Yoshiwara. The oiran were women that existed during the Edo era and they lived in self-contained Pleasure Quarters and like geishas were required to be well-versed with the arts of dance, music, poetry and calligraphy, and conversation. However, unlike geishas, the oiran were prostitutes, although they were considered to be elite prostitutes.
Artistically wise, this movie was nothing short of a color explosion - bright and vivid, the costumes never ceased to disappoint, and the Japanese, Edo-period interiors were enough to die for. Script wise, the movie could have been dealt with better. Sakuran is Ninagawa Mika's directorial debut, and where she is mostly know for her equally vivid photographs, she has delivered that same charismatic and almost neon-colored scheme to the big screen. However, the movie seems to go on as a art fest more than an actual story. It has potential, but looking back on it, the beautiful cinematography was distracting from the film. It actually outshone the script. If this film had been silent, and more geared towards a video-photography style sort of thing, I would have enjoyed it for that fact. In actuality, I felt the movie focused more on the visual than the non-visual, and I am a sucker for beauty, but I felt that more attention should have been paid on the story. And I have to let you all know: this IS NOT a 'geisha flick', as the consensus says. These are oiran, a type of courtesan. Geisha are entertainers. There IS a difference. Plus, the soundtrack is FAR from annoying. Do I like this film? Yes, but mostly because it is a pretty movie. It could have been better.
The colour rush was hypnotizing and such frank illustration is fresh, coming from a major female team.
good cinematographer, good composer, good actress, good story don't guarantee a good movie... the Director concentrate too much on scenes, music and character presenting, yet she forget about the story itself. No doubt, the image is stunningly beautiful. Yet, the whole movie is lack of tension. To me, it's like a long version MV of Ringo Shiina's music. However, the music doesn't match the story. Ringo is a good composer and singer. Yet, how did she come up with idea that English songs go well with story in the Edo Period?
A quite colourful and very 'pop' story about a geisha who rises to the upper echeleons - this has English pop music as the background score!