Published by ITP Media Group with the permission of Mondadori International Business S.r.l. Based off of Chinese folklore “the Ballad of Mulan”, the animated film is by no means accurate to the original tale and has some problematic elements. The #BoycottMulan hashtag persists on Twitter and other social media platforms, even as the film—whose release was postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic—finally hits Disney+. The animated version has Mulan fighting the Huns, a major threat to the Han Dynasty (202BC-220AD), with Song Dynasty (960-1279) gunpowder weaponry and later killing their leader in … Don’t boycott Mulan 2020 because of one actress’s “retweet”. There are a few similarities between the phoenix and the fenghuang bird, namely that they’re both related to fire and symbolise prosperity and good luck, but the lore is completely different because the fenghuang bird doesn’t rise from the ashes. Sonora's short story "Fire and Starlight Girl" was just published in the YA anthology Lust--the final instalment of an exploratory journey of the seven deadly sins! Posted by AMC Editors | March 10, 2020 Disney is once again looking to bring honor to the cherished story of Mulan – a young woman who disguises herself as a man to fight for the Chinese Imperial Army in place of her ailing father. #1 Mulan 2020 – Hua Mulan’s Legend Hero of a Chinese legend, Hua Mulan (花木兰) is a warrior from the Northern Wei Dynasty 北魏 (386-534). Animation giant Disney’s first foray into exploring the Chinese culture as its main story lands itself the story of Mulan (1998). She turns down the Emperor’s offer of becoming his advisor, choosing to return to her family. Continuity mistake: After Mulan breaks the winged sculpture she chases the chicken and runs past a couple. So to circle back, Raya is a long-waited representation of Southeast Asian culture, but in a way that classifies various cultures as one. To understand the extent of why Mulan 2020 was a mistake, it’s first important to examine the 1998 film. These could be the most famous and widely seen Chinese characters in 2020. Reproduction in any manner in any language in whole or in part without prior written permission is prohibited. I can understand that the definition of chi might be confusing at first for a westerner like myself, but even a quick google will solve that. Kelly Hammond, a historian of China and East Asia, explains why she found Disney's live-action film 'Mulan' to be a 'boring, drab and inaccurate mess.' But when the two rabbits run side by side, how can you tell the female from the male?”. Enter your email address if you'd like to follow my blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. They made many really good points, so I want to give them credit for inspiring several aspects of this post. She replies, “The buck bounds here and there, while the doe has narrow eyes. The words are from a reporter who was kidnapped and beaten by a handful of protestors until he was rescued by the Hong Kong police. But how? Mulan 1998 is the story of a regular girl who is questioning her place in society. It’s important to remember that the majority of protestors have been peaceful and that the Hong Kong police are guilty of violently shooting at these peaceful protestors — portraying them as heroes is wrong. The question isn’t wether we have chi or not; the consensus is that everyone is born with chi, it is only by fostering a connection and learning to focus our chi that we can improve ourselves. The round houses at the beginning are from the wrong region and the colourful dyes within would have been too expensive for a family like Mulan’s. So consider that an honorable mention, alongside the charmingly bizarre family comedy Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made. 2020 has been a difficult year, to say the least. Learn Some Popular Chinese Characters for 2020. In a story about gender norms, I think the fenghuang bird could have been used to generate some interesting discussion about conformity. The movie is sure to impress UAE audiences with a star-studded cast including Liu Yifei as Mulan, who trained at the prestigious Performance Institute of Beijing Film Academy, and Donnie Yen as Commander Tung, who, we were excited to discover, trained in Japanese karate, Korean taekwondo … The Mulan legend has been adapted many times, and the character’s origins have changed to suit. In the last lines of the Ballad of Mulan, her comrades express surprise that they didn’t realise Mulan was a woman. One person isn’t as problematic or as dangerous as a multi-billion company who doesn’t care about human rights. Somehow, it has accomplished the rare feat of pissing off both Western and Eastern audiences for different reasons. This has been true for a vast portion of history. It's more about culture differences. Historians largely agree that Mulan was a … For Hollywood, this happened a lot around abuse before the #metoo movement. Not only would it have been an interesting piece of Chinese culture, but it would have fit better with the theme. 2020 was good (for Disney+ at least). In the wake of the #metoo movement, too, given the male-dominated tiering of Hollywood’s culture, having a character act as both Mulan’s commanding officer and her love interest has been deemed inappropriate. This suggests that only “special” women are allowed to break through society’s expectations. For context, the phoenix isn’t Chinese, instead associated with greek and medieval lore. Interestingly, this traditional idea of chi mimics the messages in the 1998 Mulan…. Chinese viewers of Mulan (2020), however, seemed to have forgotten about this commandment: As Hong Kong activists solicit worldwide solidarity for the #BoycottMulan movement … As a woman, I deeply feel her pain; society puts impossibly high expectations on how women should act, dress, look, and sound. Inscribed on Mulan’s sword in the movie are the characters “忠勇真” (pinyin: zhōng yǒng zhēn /joong yoong jen/), which mean loyal, brave, and true. A post shared by Mulan (@mulan) on Aug 25, 2020 at 12:00pm PDT. Instead of executing Mulan, Shang and the others decide to believe her that the Huns survived and are attacking the Emperor. But the issues with the Mulan failure were public first when the lead actress voiced her support for the CCP and their actions in Hong Kong. Missing from the movie too, is the spontaneous (and often simultaneous) bursting into song that we're used to from cult Disney classics. Remember that this is only speculation — there’s no way to know the full story of why Liu stated that she stood with the Hong Kong police. Mulan 2020 ignores this entirely and gives us a superhero. Kung Fu Panda did a much better job. Subscribe to our newsletter to get all the news, views and shoes from Graziame.com straight to your inbox. But there is one key, crucial difference: Mulan doesn’t slice off her hair. Mulan (1998) Directors: Tony Bancroft, Barry Cook. Mulan (2020) isn’t a particularly poignant or important story to tell.That might sound like an unkind judgement on my part, but keep in mind that this Mulan is a reiteration of their earlier 1998 animated story of the same titular Mulan – it’s simply a remake for modern audiences. In the words of Accented Cinema, “It is the perfect time for a new generation of Mulan to inspire people… And you fucked it up”. 'Mulan' Review: Reboot Fails To Breathe New Life Into An Old Tale Spinning a Chinese legend into family-friendly entertainment with worldwide appeal is a tricky business. For me, the oddest mistake is the phoenix. Brief synopsis of the 1998 film: Mulan’s family expects her to follow tradition and have an arranged marriage, but Mulan feels like she’s failing to be a typical woman. In the end credits, Disney thanks the government bodies of Xinjiang for allowing them to film in an area near some internment camps. Required fields are marked *. Mulan returns with a modernised version of the 1998 original. There's a brief shot afterwards where you can now see the ladder but the couple is nowhere to be seen. As Máo Zédōng 毛泽东 once said, “We should support whatever the enemy opposes, and oppose whatever the enemy supports.”. Mulan did a wonderful job of empowering Chinese people and those of Chinese descent, especially women, that perseverance and dedication can overcome societal stereotypes. This means Disney spent 200 million on a film which misrepresents China, silences women, stereotypes Chinese people, and alludes to the fact that the company is willing to overlook genocide in order to make money. If you can read Chinese, you can learn more mistakes that are made about the culture, history timelines, etc, where the ratings goes all the way down to 4.9 after 3 days of the release. Mulan 2020 ignores these facts entirely, using the western phoenix and its greek mythology throughout the film. Also, perhaps accidentally, it gave the world a bisexual icon in Li Shang (Who they removed in the 2020 Mulan). Both Hollywood and the Chinese government are very powerful, and have been known to ruin the careers of those who openly disagree with them. OSN is bringing the much-anticipated remake of Disney's Mulan to the UAE with a virtual premiere screening. However, it’s generally considered to be pretty innocent when compared to some other Disney films (for example Pocohontos or Dumbo) and actually has a really positive message: Women are not inferior to men and anyone can achieve their dreams through hard work and perseverance. Mulan 2020 states that Mulan’s power is because she has chi, which only warriors have, and her chi is strong. So it’s time Hollywood gave Asians a chance to tell theirs. The screening is open to everyone; OSN is set to launch a competition for non-subscribers to win a access to the virtual premiere. What, exactly, will Disney's reflection show? Combined with Mulan’s powers of chi and eventual war fame, her sister is stuck completely in her shadow. In my opinion, this covers up the real problems. I did my best to research, but I had some trouble understanding the full extent of what is happening. If you’re interested in more details about the controversy surrounding Liu’s post, Roc Su wrote an in depth article that I recommend: Before You #BoycottMulan, Consider the Context. Demure, obedient and afraid of spiders, Hua Xiu is the perfect archetype to compare Mulan to. The $200 million-budgeted film is among the … With this in mind, the 2020 Mulan messes up in two big ways. There are also some issues with inaccurate facts and their racist depiction of Huns. Mulan And so on. Your email address will not be published. But I think it's not so much that the movie is bad; I personally like the movie a lot. Here's the story behind the 2020 Mulan movie, which follows the ancient Chinese folk story called The Ballad of Mulan… But how? In fact, her choice to hide her fighting abilities makes no sense for the plot — according to her father at the beginning, “chi is only for warriors”. In order to emphasize the gravity and seriousness of the movie, the characters will not be singing, although the audience can expect to hear the familiar theme of "reflection" lilting through the film in a significant way. A few of the problems: the hair-cutting scene, less than half of the cast are Chinese, and the tiny comedic dragon, Mushu. In the end, ‘Mulan’ 2020 stands as an inspired oddity: A reenvisioned remake that improves on the original even as it owes everything to movies that have come before.” Advertisement Vox cinema-goers sit patiently to wait and see whether Mulan, and Disney, really will bring honour to us all. First of all, the viral tweet saying Liu supports the Hong Kong police is misleading. Why is everyone so upset? Before You #BoycottMulan, Consider the Context. Two prominent characters will be absent from the new movie, starting with Mushu, the sidekick dragon voiced by Eddie Murphy. I am not Chinese, so if you’d rather watch their video essays instead, here they are: EVERYTHING CULTURALLY WRONG WITH MULAN 2020 (And How They Could’ve Been Fixed) by Xiran Jay Zhao and Mulan: A Case of Failed Empowerment |Video Essay by Accented Cinema. What Liu Yifei did was share the reporter’s story on Weibo with #我也支持香港警察 (translates to “I also support the Hong Kong police”). Mulan (2020) is an astonishing movie. On a more surface-level viewing, however, Mulan 2020 also managed to include certain improvements from the animated version of 1998. Mulan 2020 is LESS Chinese. Yes, they did. Disney’s release of Mulan 2020 was preceded by the headline news that the lead actress, Liu Yifei, had “tweeted” support of the Hong Kong police. In the 2020 live action, the writers added a younger sister, Xiu, who represents the “ideal girl” back in the ancient times. If you’d like to support my writing, check out my work on Medium. No one can tell the stories of a specific culture better than the very people to whom those stories belong. Producer Jason Reed explained the reasoning: “It turns out that the traditional Chinese audience did not particularly think that was the best interpretation of the dragon in their culture.“ He adds, “That the dragon is a sign of respect and of strength and power and sort of using it as a silly sidekick did not play well with a traditional Chinese audience.”. All rights reserved. What Does a Phoenix Mean in Chinese Culture? After all, Mulan wasn't even trying to preserve Chinese culture. Despite Disney’s claim that they changed the story to have a more feminist attitude, the way gender is portrayed doesn’t feel like 2020 — as a woman, I felt uncomfortable, not empowered. CS8900 Assignment 2: by Diana Goh. The most disappointing mistake in my book is the misunderstanding of chi. It’s nearly impossible for a remake to exist without carrying baggage from the original and this film is no exception. Movies. Some of the smaller, less offensive mistakes (to me) involve the costumes and set design. I liked Mushu the tiny dragon, but I’m not too upset that they took him out. But it's not all bad, there is a silver lining. Because the Hong Kong police have been aggressively stifling freedom of speech during protests for human rights. The 1998 Mulan didn’t have a full cast of Chinese actors, while the remake fixed this issue the whole film reads as more white and more disrespectful to Chinese culture than the original animation. Personally, I’m still not okay with this. An outdoor ad for Disney's "Mulan" is seen on March 13, 2020 in Hollywood, California. Instead, 2020 Mulan simply ties her flowing locks into a bun. They’re missing the point: chi just is, it’s by dedication and time that someone can harness this power and cultivate their chi. A mere second later Mulan is in a different place: the stuff on the wall has vanished, the ladder and, of course, the couple. Disney’s live-action “Mulan” was supposed to be a huge win for under-represented groups in Hollywood. Incidentally, this defeats the whole point of the original statement. I don’t think so, but the situation is not black and white. “Mulan” (2020) YouTube trailer screenshot for Disney's Mulan (2020). It is a straight out American movie decorated with Chinese accessories to make it interesting and exotic. Except this time, for some misguided reason, they opted to cut the music… and even worse, THEY SCRAPPED MUSHU! When asked why Disney didn’t address these issues all they said was the controversy had created “a lot of issues for us”. In … The main criticism of the 1998 film is that it’s not very Chinese. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window). Boycott the film because it violates your morals, pushing millions of people further from equality and back into the dark. So, Li Shang, the Captain of the Imperial army and Mulan’s mentor, has also been removed from the character list. Mulan 1998 combats this view by showing that through love for her father, she learns to succeed in battle by focusing on her strengths rather than her weaknesses: in this case, her mind. Personally, I just wish everyone would stop crediting that quote to her and turn their gaze to Disney instead, because I think what they’ve done is much worse. Welcome to 2020 where Hollywood forgot how to write (strong female characters). Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Any writer worth their salt knows that you have to give your main character some kryptonite. At home, Mulan offers the Emperor’s gifts to her father, but he tosses them aside saying that no honour is greater than having her for a daughter. Even if I ignore these choices made by the writers, I couldn’t help but feel weird whenever gender was mentioned. The latest Disney live-action remake, Mulan is set to grace UAE cinemas on 4 September. Mulan 2020 gave a nod to these lines at the beginning where Mulan says “Black Wind and I rode alongside two rabbits running side by side, I think one was male and one was female”. Also, I want to apologise if I downplayed or miscommunicated any of the current political issues in China. Is it wrong to consider current politics when critiquing the Mulan remake? Whether these seem like timely upgrades or troubling cinema sins to you, it is clear the live-action transformation will bring the tale into a new age. Was Hua Mulan a real person? Despite the original’s somewhat misogynist overtones (ex. Isn’t the whole point of yin and yang to find a balance? The 1998 Mulan didn’t have a full cast of Chinese actors, while the remake fixed this issue the whole film reads as more white and more disrespectful to Chinese culture than the original animation. Now, over two decades on, though, and we can expect to see some changes to the animated original. 10. The discussion around the Mulan 2020 politics has a lot of very misleading information. Did Disney really hire a team with a clear lack of knowledge about Chinese history? Back in 1998, when Mulan was released for the first time, it’s safe to say it was received pretty well worldwide, grossing over USD304 million, and winning a Golden Globe and Academy Award nomination. Here it is: This isn’t her quote. Sneaking into the palace, Mulan again uses her smarts to take back the palace and save the Emperor. Because the remake is a terrible film that I believe has worse connotations for human rights than Liu’s post on Weibo.