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The World of Geisha

Name: The World of Geisha
Director: Tatsumi Kumashiro
Released: 1973
Duration: 72 min

Representation Score

6.1/10

Good

1973

Director

Tatsumi Kumashiro

Runtime

72 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Tatsumi Kumashiro’s work shifts the focus from large-scale political changes to the small-scale politics of the pleasure district. By emphasizing individual sensory experiences and sexual freedom, the film breaks away from typical period drama conventions. The film's strength lies in its sophisticated deconstruction of social hierarchies. It challenges traditional gender roles and moral frameworks, favoring the complexity of human connections over institutional stability. However, the film remains culturally specific and homogeneous. While it provides a deep insight into a particular Japanese subculture, it lacks racial and ethnic diversity.

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Category Breakdown

Does The World of Geisha have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film examines non-traditional sexualities and blurred gender lines through performances. It views desire as a complex, multifaceted human experience rather than a simple binary.

How does The World of Geisha portray gender?

Good

The story challenges traditional hierarchies by focusing on women's ability to act within geisha culture. It shows female independence and autonomy instead of submissive femininity.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The World of Geisha?

Fair

The cast is culturally uniform, reflecting a specific Japanese social class. It lacks diverse casting but offers a detailed look at a specific professional subculture.

How does The World of Geisha represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film questions established social structures by prioritizing personal desires over religious or moral rules. It highlights the tension between systemic power and individual lives.

Does The World of Geisha include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no significant depiction of visible or invisible disabilities in the film.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional gender hierarchies by highlighting women's independence and autonomy.
Explores the complexity of desire and non-traditional sexual relationships.
Offers a detailed examination of a specific Japanese professional subculture.

Limited or Absent

Lacks racial and ethnic diversity due to its culturally uniform cast.
Does not include representations of individuals with visible or invisible disabilities.

Official Synopsis

The world is in turmoil with the October Revolution of 1917, riots over the inflationary price of rice, and the military expedition to Siberia in 1918. But Shinsuke, a brothel owner, spends his days in the arms of geishas, paying little heed to the events happening around him.

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