Director: Rob Marshall
Cinematographer: Dion Beebe
2006 Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design
Watching Memoirs when I was 15 on a tiny tv in the corner of a ski lodge on Mt. Kosciusko was an experience that made me truly appreciate the use of color in a film. When choosing which film to create a color bible for Memoirs was the first to spring to mind. I borrowed the dvd from my university library and watched it a second time this time on my widescreen plasma and was mesmerized by the beauty of the cinematography.
When creating the color palette I found a lot of muted pastel colors were used, perfect for old Japan and for telling a story about a faded past. This was occassionally interjected with scenes of sharp contrast between light and dark and bright colors such as the scene of Sayuri's snow dance and when she is introduced to the American colonel after the Japanese surrender. The standout items in the movie were definitely the array of colorful kimono designed by the costume department which were inspired by the kimono patterns they found in Kyoto. Each female character is given a kimono style.style of kimono. Hatsumomo's for example is reminiscent of a glamorous Parisian runway model's style with loud patterns and bright colors. Sayuri's is more muted to complement her grey eyes and in line with the ongoing theme of her coming from a fishing village.
The other standout is the set design. The town (hanamachi) was constructed entirely in California. In the second scene it is nighttime when all the lanterns are on and the rain falls creating pockets of orange light which reflect off the wet cedar of the buildings in the narrow laneways, the effect is stunning. As the set was located outdoors lighting was controlled by large canvases which spanned the length of the set acting as cloud cover for the harsh Californian sun.
Finally I just wanted to mention that the cinematographer, Dion Beebe is Australian. Am I proud? Yes.
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