In the opening scene of Sakuran (2007), glamorous oiran (courtesan) Kiyoha fly-kicks a rival and backhands the man who comes to calm her. She’s restrained this time, but there’s not much that keeps her down. Rebellious, smart and seductive, she is envied by her co-workers and her rich clients want to save her.
Kiyoha is played by rockstar and model Anna Tsuchiya, who is just as famous across Japan for drunken interviews and brawling as she is for electrifying live performances. Defying the expectation that Japanese actors be quiet and demure, Tsuchiya embraced her rebellious off-screen persona to embody the unconventional and headstrong courtesan.
Director Mika Ninagawa’s transgressive portrait of Japanese womanhood was made by a majority-female creative team in response to 2005’s Memoirs of a Geisha, which was criticised for casting Chinese actors and romanticising geisha culture for a Western audiences. Ninagawa’s film is a radical yet contemplative correction that celebrates female sexuality, agency and humanity, and offers a nuanced depiction of the life and loves of a courtesan.
Dangerous designs
The colourful kimonos displayed in Goddess bring the vivid artistry of Moyoco Anno’s original manga to life in director Mika Ninagawa’s adaptation of Sakuran (2007). Costume designer Yuko Sugiyama emphasises hallucinatory colours and patterns, using traditional Japanese dyeing techniques to give the kimonos period-accurate authenticity with a punk rock sensibility. Highly detailed and ornate, they are vital to the film’s visual style and the emotional journey of the characters.
The kimono facing you is worn by the young protagonist, Kiyoha (Anna Tscuhiya). The energetic mix of red, baby pink, blue and purple, as well as the flying cranes, represents her youthful rebellion. As Kiyoha climbs the ranks of the courtesans, her outlook matures. The kimono facing away is from the end of the film. Kiyoha is draped in a deep, moody blue that is contrasted with aqua to reflect her growing wisdom, while the flowing gold and orange obi sashes represent her station as head courtesan.
The kimonos are the perfect accompaniment to the lush cinematography, which saturates the courtesans in luxurious and brash Technicolor hues to bring a glamorous vibrancy to 18th-century Japan.
Sakuran (2006) Original Trailer
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Collection
Not in ACMI's collection
Previously on display
1 October 2023
Australian Centre for the Moving Image
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
193594
Curatorial section
Goddess → Weaponising glamour → Sakuran