Being a fan of the book, I had high expectations for the movie. With such rich material in the book, any director would find it challenging to capture the two main themes of the book: the world of the geisha, and a powerful love story. The movie version erred on the side of the love story, unlike the book, which was just the opposite. I missed the scenes that dealt with the rigorous geisha training, the competition, the fame, and what life was like for those who didn't make it as a geisha and who had to live out a different life in the red light district. Even with that, the movie is enchanting and the characters capture the essence of the struggle and challenges that Sayuri endured.