Culture wars: Chinese actresses, Japanese roles

The makers of "Memoirs of a Geisha" expected to be lauded for creating the first big-budget Hollywood movie with Asian actors in every leading role. Instead, they find themselves defending casting decisions that have inflamed historical tensions between Japan and China.

The English-language film is set in Japan and adapted from the American novel by Arthur Golden. It stars Chinese actresses Ziyi Zhang and Gong Li, and Chinese-Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh. They join several Japanese performers, including Ken Watanabe.

For months, the Internet has been filled with vitriolic debate over cultural insensitivity. The arguments boil down to this: A movie about Japanese culture should have a Japanese actress in the lead.

The filmmakers, however, thought that would be shortsighted and discriminatory. Producers Douglas Wick ("Gladiator") and Lucy Fisher, and director Rob Marshall ("Chicago"), say the casting was an exhaustive, meticulous process that considered acting ability, star power and physical traits.

The debate is somewhat perplexing considering that actors have been playing characters of different nationalities throughout the history of film.

"When you saw 'Zorba the Greek,' and you saw Anthony Quinn play Zorba, was that odd to you because he was Irish and Mexican?" Marshall said. "Or when you saw 'Dr. Zhivago,' and you saw Omar Sharif, who's Egyptian-born, play a Russian, was that something that threw you?"

But the symbolism in "Geisha," opening today, is powerful for many Chinese.

Spotlight: "Memoirs of a Geisha"

During Japan's 1937-38 occupation of Nanjing, Japanese troops killed at least 150,000 Chinese civilians and raped tens of thousands of women.

Today, there is tension over Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to a shrine that honors some convicted war criminals, as well as the territorial dispute over the Diaoyutai or Senkaku islands. In April, Chinese demonstrators vandalized shops and smashed windows at Japanese diplomatic offices while protesting Japanese textbooks they claim whitewash the country's war atrocities.

Such history has created an Asian climate so sensitive, South Korean actress Kim Yun-jin of TV's "Lost" reportedly turned down a role in "Geisha" for nationalistic reasons.

But the American filmmakers had other concerns, like star power and ticket sales.

Zhang and Yeoh co-starred in the box-office hit "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," and Zhang has since become the international face of Chinese cinema with roles in "Hero," "House of Flying Daggers" and "2046." Yeoh became the first Asian Bond girl in "Tomorrow Never Dies." And Li gained a devoted cult following thanks to "Raise the Red Lantern" and "Farewell My Concubine."

But does casting for charisma's sake mean authenticity is sacrificed? Marshall is quick to point out that while he did extensive research into geisha culture, realism was not his chief concern.

"I never intended to do this movie as a documentary-style version of the novel," Marshall said. "It really is a fable."