Memoirs of a geisha
(DVD)

Based on the book by Arthur Golden.

Originally produced as a motion picture in 2005.

Special features: Disc 1: Commentary with Rob Marshall and John DeLuca [audio only]; Commentary with Colleen Atwood (costumes), John Myhre (production designer) and Pietro Scalia (editor) [audio only]; Previews (8 min.); Disc 2: Featurettes Sayuri's Journey (15 min.); The Road to Japan (6 min.); Geisha Boot Camp (12 min.); Building the Hanamachi (13 min.); The Look of a Geisha (16 min.); The Music of "Memoirs" (10 min.); A Geisha's Dance (8 min.); The Way of the Sumo (6 min.); Rob Marshall, Director (10 min.); A Day with Chef Nobu Matsuhisa (10 min.); Chef Nobu's recipes [text feature]; Behind the scenes photo gallery; Costume illustrations photo gallery.

Director of photography, Dion Beebe ; production designer, John Myhre ; editor, Pietro Scalia ; costume designer, Colleen Atwood ; music by John Williams ; cello solos by Yo-Yo Ma ; violin solos by Itzhak Perlman.

Ziyi Zhang (Sayuri), Ken Watanabe (Chairman), Michelle Yeoh (Mameha), Koji Yakusho (Nobu), Youki Kudoh (Pumpkin), Kaori Momoi (Mother), Tsai Chin (Auntie), Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (The Baron), Suzuka Ohgo (Chiyo), Gong Li (Hatsumomo).

In 1929, a poor fisherman sells his 9-year-old daughter to a geisha house in Kyoto. Chiyo will be an unpaid servant until it is determined if she is beautiful enough for apprenticeship, and the house's clientèle. Run by Mother, the ruling geisha is Hatsumomo, and little Pumpkin her only friend. Trained under strict discipline for a lifetime of entertaining and flattering wealthy men, Sayuri grows up lovely, accomplished, and the target of jealous rivals. Love is no part of this cloistered world, although geisha lore hints that even if they fall in love with clients--the operative word is client, and that love is never free.

MPAA rating: Rated PG-13; for mature subject matter and some sexual content.

DVD; Region 1; Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround; widescreen presentation aspect ratio 2.40:1.

In English or French with optional subtitles in English or French; closed-captioned in English.

Academy Awards, 2006 Best Achievement in Art Direction-John Myhre (art director), Gretchen Rau (set decorator); Best Achievement in Cinematography-Dion Beebe; Best Achievement in Costume Design-Colleen Atwood; Golden Globes, 2006 Best original score-Motion Picture, John Williams.