Memoirs of a Geisha

Although it has all the trappings that usually guarantee a sure-fire hit (period piece, costume drama, "exotic" culture), Memoirs of a Geisha has been both a critical and box office disappointment.

Now it seems it has been banned in China. Why? The Chinese government is concerned that the sight of Chinese actresses portraying Japanese geishas would stir a public backlash and cause civil unrest.

The issue at hand is Japan's lack of formal acknowledgment of atrocities committed during years of Japanese occupation.

Public sentiment is equally vociferous here in Korea. Korean actress Kim Yoon-jin (best known for playing Sun on Lost) famously rejected an offer of a starring role in Memoirs of a Geisha because she did not want her feature film debut to be as a Japanese character.

For more on the casting controversy, read this interesting article on Wikipedia.