Mulan (2020)

With the live-action Mulan coming to Disney+ next month, I thought it would be nice to look back at the original, 1998 classic. Mulan (1998) follows the titular character on her quest to save China, and while doing so, she disguises herself as a young man to join the army.

The character of Mulan (Ming-Na Wen) is one of Disney’s best heroines. She’s brave, kicks butt, and has a kill count. What other Disney character has killed hundreds of Huns by crushing them with an avalanche? No one. Take that, Elsa, Mulan didn’t need ice powers to take down an army.

Another great aspect of the film is the music. It’s a real shame that the live-action version isn’t a musical. The song “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” is awesome. If I’m watching this film with someone and they’re not singing that song along with me, I’ll be severely disappointed.

The live-action movie also cut out Li Shang (BD Wong) which is just inexcusable. Shang and Mulan had great dynamics in the film, and they’re one of the only Disney couples who don’t marry in the end. Shang is also a pretty cool character who also kicks butt.

The reason why he’s cut out is due to Disney executives being uncomfortable with a commanding officer as the love interest. This was all in the wake of the #MeToo movement so there’s some justification, but it’s not like Shang’s written terribly. He has flaws like any other character, but he at least learns from his mistakes and grows. It seems silly that they would cut out of the most important characters in the film, and he’s not the only one.

Niki Caro is one of the few woman directors to transition from independent films to high-grossing blockbusters. When I first watched her 2002 film Whale Rider, I immediately fell in love with the protagonist Pai, and was in awe from learning so much about the Maori tribe. The story centers on twelve-year-old Pai, and the gender role obstacles she faces, in order to, become her tribe’s new chief. Interestingly enough, last year fans of the 1998 Mulan were raving about the reimagining of Mulan (2020), and when I found out Niki Caro was behind the camera, I was not shocked. However, I was surprised because she’s known for indie films, and this was a big leap from indies to a live-action Disney princess movie. But, after watching two of her films, one of them being North Country (2005), it didn’t take me that long to see a pattern of strong female protagonists and the theme of gender inequality. 

That being said, Whale Rider and Mulan are very similar, and made sense for Caro to take on the Mulan remake. The new Mulan separates itself somewhat from the animated version. Caro wanted the film to stay true to the Chinese legend of the heroine, just like Whale Rider is an homage to Maori culture. Pai and Mulan have similar stories and characterization, one of them being their presentation. One might say Pai looks like a boy from the top half of her body and a girl from the lower part of her body; this is because Pai has short curly hair and usually wears a t-shirt with a skirt. Mulan purposefully transforms into a man’s appearance to blend in with the soldiers; she does this by putting her long hair into a man’s bun, wearing armor, and concealing her breasts. Not only are, Pai and Mulan presented as androgynous characters, but their androgyny and shift in gender roles are also how both films are similar, in that Pai and Mulan are breaking their cultural traditions, so they can have the same opportunities as their male counterparts.

One of the ways, Niki Caro emphasizes gender inequality as an obstacle for the two characters is, by displaying how the characters are not allowed to show strength. In Whale Rider, Pai is forbidden to train with the boys, who are learning from her grandfather to become the new chief. Instead, she secretly spies on their lessons and watches them train with the fighting sticks, so she can learn how to use them. When her grandfather discovers Pai fighting with one of the boys with the sticks and wins, he gets furious with her, and does not acknowledge her to be an equal to her opponent.

In the opening scene of Mulan, a young Mulan is seen actively running, and jumping throughout their village. Her impressive spirit and energy are shamed by the villagers and her family because girls are not supposed to display any form of masculinity. However, these obstacles that society throws at them, do not stop them from pursuing their desires, and expressing their true selves. Pai takes lessons from her Uncle, the only person willing to teach her, and is not bothered by her gender. Mulan disguises herself as a man, to join the army to fight in her father’s place, which allows her to train with the soldiers, and embrace the gifted skills she had to hide, when she was seen as a woman.