I can only comment on the Japanese aspects of this film, but...anyone familiar with Japanese language or culture will find themselves cringing fairly frequently throughout this. Nagiko, ostensibly Japanese (but played by a Chinese actress, Vivian Wu), oddly insists on using English when speaking with other Japanese. Even McGregor is brave enough to venture a few fractured Japanese phrases...but not Ms. Wu. The Japanese actually spoken in several places is unnatural, and the English subtitles are often incorrect (i.e. mixing up the 7th and 8th books, etc).
If fidelity to native cultures is not an issue for you, however, The Pillow Book is enticing, with the hallmarks of a Greenaway film--sumptuous visuals, original treatment, weak storyline. Still, worth one viewing.
If fidelity to native cultures is not an issue for you, however, The Pillow Book is enticing, with the hallmarks of a Greenaway film--sumptuous visuals, original treatment, weak storyline. Still, worth one viewing.