“And yet, to learn of kindness after so much unkindness, to understand that a little girl has more courage than she knew, would find her prayers were answered, can that not be called happiness? After all, these are not the memoirs of a empress, nor of a queen, these are memoirs of another kind. "
Chiyo found her own happiness, but her life is still a tragic existence. It is because there are too many unhappy times, so the last bit of happiness can be called happiness. All she has pursued in her life is to stand beside the one she loves. In that society, in that era, her identity was still being trampled on by people. Whether it was her downfall when she first arrived in Gion, or her glamorous glory, she was a woman living at the bottom.
Which of the girls in Gion is not a tragedy?
Really beautiful. She is a sister. Gorgeous coat, graceful bearing, in the position of commanding wind and rain in Gion, she once crowned Kyoto, in the legend of Chiyo, she is a promoter and a guide. With a delicate mind, she can be submissive with just one look, and in front of those rich men, she can't even say a "no". After the war, she was washed away, but she was just an ordinary woman who lost almost everything in her life. The people she loves, her wealth, her years. Maybe she didn't lose anything, because none of it really belonged to her, she had nothing.
little pumpkin. She was a childhood playmate. The girl who was not much older than Chiyo even had a rougher fate than Chiyo. The innocence of her youth, the fear of becoming another Hatsomome, although her girlhood was painful, she still had a pure heart. She never lied to her friends, never stingy to help Chiyo, and the mutual company of the two girls in childhood became the only precious memory in that place. And after so many years, who will not change? Maybe the moment her mother recognized Chiyo as her adopted daughter, she changed. The only support for her life was taken away, and the only thing she longed for in her life was wiped away. Her gorgeous makeup and bold gestures are just her disguise. She is still the hard-working woman in Fireworks Alley.
First peach. She is an enemy. The first time she appeared was when Chiyo was just sold. Danfeng's eyes were as cold as ice, but as beautiful as peach and plum. Chiyo watched for a long time as she wore a precious kimono and gradually disappeared. She is vicious, she is proud. She was jealous of Chiyo's water-like eyes. And she's just a geisha. like each of them. They were always afraid to be her. However, as Chiyo thought later, what was the difference between them? After Hatsumomo fell down, it was still the same figure, but no longer in a kimono, but in ragged clothes, and walked into the distance. She had loved and looked forward to it, so what was the difference between them? Her past is their present. Her future... may not be their future. They are actually no different.
Those narrow stone alleys in Gion, those old houses with black tiles, and those elegant geisha in kimonos, still cannot form a complete picture. Add those men in wide-brimmed hats and capes. They are rich, powerful, and seem to have everything they want. But they are not tragic. The pain of an arranged marriage makes them finally hope to find love here. Or, just find a beauty. Just as geisha cannot be the real wives of those men, neither can they be their real husbands. At the end of the film, when the chairman and Chiyo walked side by side by the small pond, behind the picturesque scenery, it seemed that they could see their incomplete love.
I really like such a comedic ending, because it seems to be more able to experience the tragedy of Chiyo's life. Her interpretation of happiness is so humble, you can imagine the hardships she has endured in her life, but also the hardships of those women like her. She has achieved humble happiness, and the others?
Really feather beauty?
What about the pumpkins?
What about the first peach?
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