New Vid: Memoirs Of A Geisha

[charmax]

Video Title: Birth Of A Geisha
Song Title/Artist: Song Of Birth - Eri Sugai
Movie: Memoirs Of a Geisha
Summary: This is a journey from girl to Geisha. Character study/film overview
Length/Format: 3.38 (Xvid)
Notes:
This was my entry in the Reverie style contest. Vidders were asked to submit anonymously and then members were invited to guess who made what and provide feedback before the vidders were announced. It was great fun and I learned a lot. Half the people who voted guessed me right. I suppose that means I must have quite a distinctive style.

About the vid itself, I don't know what the actual English translation is and all my research pointed to the artist using her voice as an instrument rather than specific lyrics. If it is hideously inappropriate at any point I'm sorry for that but I chose to edit it as if it was an instrumental piece. Memoirs of a Geisha is a beautifully shot film and I did my best to utilise that. I roughly followed the narrative of the film but I did take some liberties, perhaps the biggest of which was the decision to remove the fourth Geisha (Piglet) from the vid altogether.

Download Xvid (960x400 - 85MB)
Download Xvid (720x304 - 35MB)
Med stream @ imeem

Feedback is extremely welcome.

Comments

[aycheb.livejournal.com]

Sumptuously beautiful vid (as befits the subject matter).

You use the overlays and crossfades like a geisha's fan, the way the focus shifts from side to side mirrors that cloistered world, its sliding doors and layered robes. Glorious sequence at the turn of the story where the serial overlays give the impression of the girl running though snow covered roofs to be confronted by her adult self.

I also loved the centrality of the relationships between the women, men look on but the greatest passion seemed to come between the girl and her mentor/anti-mentor good mother/bad mother ending in fire. It gave a disquieting edge to the Cinderella ending, I haven't seen the movie but it’s deliciously unclear in the final scene whether the prince at the centre of the labyrinth is really a toad.

[charmax.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much. Your summation is beautifully poetic. You're right the focus for me was primarily the main geisha, her mentor and rival. I couldn't leave out the Cinderella style love story altogether and I think it is fair to say that he really isn't a toad even if it is a bit unsettling given that he has known her since she was a child.

I'm really glad you enjoyed it. Thanks again!