It can take a real-life geisha a decade of intensive training to master the artistic skills and intricate social protocols required of the centuries-old profession.

Ziyi Zhang and her co-stars in the new film "Memoirs of a Geisha," were given just a few months.

"We called it 'Geisha Boot Camp,' " Zhang said. "We were taught how to dance, how to play musical instruments, give tea service, and even how to talk."

The film, which has earned Zhang a Golden Globe nomination for best actress, opens in Hawai'i on Friday.

Zhang, 26, best known for her roles in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," and "House of Flying Daggers," plays Sayuri, a country girl sold to a geisha house by her family.

In the story, Sayuri's prospects are initially sabotaged by a jealous geisha (Gong Li), but a simple act of kindness restores her spirit and inspires her rise as the greatest geisha of her time.

The film also stars Michelle Yeoh as Sayuri's mentor, Mameha, and Japanese actor Ken Watanabe as the kindly Chairman.

Zhang, who was born in Beijing, said her transformation into a screen-credible geisha was eased by her experiences studying dance for six years at the prestigious Beijing Dance Academy.

"Every day we would practice for hours, from early in the morning through evening. It was very similar to our Geisha boot camp," she said.

"My dance training definitely helped during my dance scenes in the movie. But even with my background, the solo dance was still difficult, because I had to dance in 12-inch platform shoes! And that dance also involved a high degree of acting. I was playing a character within a character. That was new for me."

While Zhang was learning how to act like a Japanese geisha, she also struggled to speak not just English, but English with a Japanese accent. She conducted this interview with The Advertiser via e-mail, as she is still working on her English.

Zhang said legendary Chinese director Zhang Yimou once told her it would be impossible to act in a second language, because the language barrier prevents actors from deeply understanding the character. She took that as a challenge: "What he said has always stuck in my mind and pushed me to prove that you can play a character well, even if it is in your second language."

Working on an American set — a Los Angeles soundstage doubled for the film's Japanese hanamachi (geisha district) — with an American director and a Chinese, Japanese and American cast was an eye-opening experience for Zhang.

"The biggest difference is that working in Hollywood, you have weekends off," Zhang said. "In China, we worked 24/7. When we were making 'Crouching Tiger,' we worked six months straight, no days off. And we have trailers and snacks in Hollywood — nothing like that in China.

"But no matter where a movie is made, the passion is always there," she said. "Everyone is professional and everyone does their best."

Zhang said she was happy to be reunited with Yeoh, her "Crouching Tiger" co-star, whom Zhang considers "a big sister." She also embraced the opportunity to work with Li, whose string of Zhang Yimou-produced films paved the way for nonmartial-arts Chinese cinema in the West more than a decade ago.

Watanabe, who earned an Oscar nomination for his work in "The Last Samurai," took it upon himself to work with the Chinese actresses on language and culture issues, Zhang said.

"Ken is such a gentleman," she said. "He's very much like a samurai."

Zhang also enjoyed working with Japanese actresses Kaori Momoi ("so funny and expressive") and Youki Kudoh.

"Youki is wonderful," Zhang said. "She would come to the set in her kimono with her dog and we had a great time together."

Holding it all together was director Rob Marshall ("Chicago"), whom Zhang calls "a genius."

"He had a very clear vision for what he wanted to do and he just stuck with it," she said. "He was so patient and always encouraged us. ... I could always understand him in spite of the language barrier. I hope people realize how hard his job was. He had to direct so many actors who spoke different languages. Only someone with a focused vision can do what he did."

While "Memoirs" has been criticized in Japan for perpetuating a Western misconception of geisha as prostitutes, the film, based on the best-selling novel by Japan scholar Arthur Golden, does put the sexual aspect of the profession within the context of specific traditions and arrangements.

Zhang said she had several conversations with Marshall about a controversial scene in the film and the book in which her character is attacked by the Baron (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), the danna (patron) of her mentor, Mameha.

"Sayuri keeps her emotions bottled up inside, so I don't think she should cry during this scene, even though most people would have," Zhang said. "When the Baron is undressing her, she holds her tears inside instead of shedding them. I think that made the scene more compelling. You feel for Sayuri more because she couldn't cry out.

"The day we filmed that scene, I was shaking the whole time," she said. "All the muscles in my body were shaking. I felt so emotional, so helpless."

With the Golden Globe nomination in hand and an Oscar nomination a strong possibility, Zhang seems poised for crossover into the mainstream American consciousness, transcending the martial arts roles that have so far defined her career.

She hopes she isn't alone.

"I hope this film shows audiences that Asian actors can do more than just action movies," she said. "I hope it gives us a chance to play more roles in Hollywood."

Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.