“The life of a real geisha is that of a very secret person” said my aunt Atasuko. “They don’t talk about their lives in the houses, but they are beautiful and very intelligent,” she says. “They are well educated and only entertain men of great stature, like prime ministers” (Chumbley). Memoirs of a Geisha is a film produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Rob Marshall based on the novel written about a real geisha. Even though this film had some breathtaking scenes and stunning costumes, the inaccuracies were immense. Not only were the characters themselves wrong, but also the costumes and the depiction of what it would be like to become a real geisha. The first inaccuracy noted in this film concerned the characters. This movie is about Japanese culture and it's a bit strange to feature three of the main characters as people of Chinese and Malaysian descent. The lead role of Sayuri was played by Zhang Ziyi, born in Beijing, China. Hotsumomo was played by the actress known as Gong Li, who was born in Shenyang, China. The third actress of non-Japanese origin in this film was Michelle Yeoh. Michelle was born in Ipoh, Malaysia and played the role of Mameha. Another inaccuracy in this film was the costume design. The costumes were designed by Colleen Atwood. In 2005, Atwood won an Oscar for her costumes. The costumes in this film vary in design and are modified for each character in the film. Modifications of traditional kimonos include shape as well as color. In a recent interview, Atwood explained why she decided to change the traditional kimono for this film. Atwood says: “We wanted to see a shoulder, have the illusion of a waist and have a sense of breasts under the kimono. We try to honor [sic] ...... middle of paper ...... period. Additionally, selling one's virginity is a poor representation of geisha women and this film should not be considered a good definition of a true geisha. Works CitedChumbley, Atasuko. “Real Geishas.” Telephone interview. April 14, 2011. “The Costume Guide to Movie Costumes.” » The customer's guide to cinema costumes. Maggie. Internet. April 20, 2011. .Desilet, Grégory. “Memoirs of a Geisha: melodrama or tragic drama? Gregory Desilet's homepage presenting studies on violence in the media. 2005. Internet. April 20, 2011. .Gallagher, John. “The Birth of the Geisha 1750-1820.” Geisha: a unique world of tradition, elegance and art. London: PRC, 2003. 115-16. Print. Memoirs of a Geisha. Real. Rob Marshall. Perf. Zhang Ziyi. Spyglass Entertainment, 2005. DVD.