I liked the movie MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, even though it was hardly one for the ages. But the DVD issue includes endless drivel in the form of short videos promoting every last aspect of the movie's minutiae. About the only thing we were spared was an analysis of the director's sexual preferences (almost).
In this 6-minute filler the film's brief segment of sumo wrestling is the reason for us to get a self-congratulatory (and worthless) overview of the Japanese sport/way of life. Yeah, the producers pulled strings to get a top wrestler to appear in the film as well as a notable ref. B.f.d. It's clear that their superficial knowledge of this aspect of Japanese culture is endemic to filmmakers who profess to love research but in the final analysis are all about glitz. From CHICAGO to this baby to the disastrous NINE, it's 100% obvious that Marshall & co. are strictly into sizzle, not steak.
Sumo is a very serious subject, and I've yet to see an Occidental filmmaker even scratch its surface. Worse than this 6-minute-gloss was Alex Gibney's idiotic "exposé" segment in the recent documentary FREAKONOMICS where he "proved" that the sport is as phony (and more corrupt) than Vince & Linda McMahon's take on rassling here in the States.
In this 6-minute filler the film's brief segment of sumo wrestling is the reason for us to get a self-congratulatory (and worthless) overview of the Japanese sport/way of life. Yeah, the producers pulled strings to get a top wrestler to appear in the film as well as a notable ref. B.f.d. It's clear that their superficial knowledge of this aspect of Japanese culture is endemic to filmmakers who profess to love research but in the final analysis are all about glitz. From CHICAGO to this baby to the disastrous NINE, it's 100% obvious that Marshall & co. are strictly into sizzle, not steak.
Sumo is a very serious subject, and I've yet to see an Occidental filmmaker even scratch its surface. Worse than this 6-minute-gloss was Alex Gibney's idiotic "exposé" segment in the recent documentary FREAKONOMICS where he "proved" that the sport is as phony (and more corrupt) than Vince & Linda McMahon's take on rassling here in the States.
