In the remake, however, Mulan serves as a “Chinese Elsa” whose superpowers are rejected by society because they do not conform to social expectations of women. In the original movie, she is an ordinary girl who knows nothing about fighting, but through her perseverance and grit, she becomes a true warrior.
While I was infuriated by Disney’s lack of effort in historical fact-checking, I was disappointed the most by Mulan’s “flawlessness” as a character. It is true that Mulan is no modern tale, but the values that she fights for in the film are directly contradicted by the outdated notion of filial piety that Disney writers inadvertently imposed on her. The writers clearly dismissed the fact that in Chinese culture, filial piety means more than “devotion to family,” as it is criticized by contemporary feminists for its implications of blind obedience and submission to elders. The film showed the Chinese character for filial piety, an ancient Confucian “virtue,” engraved on two objects: on the “amulet” (with an oriental design that did not resemble anything real Chinese people would carry) that belongs to Mulan’s father and on the sword that was gifted to Mulan by the emperor. I was also confused when writers used “abundance of chi” to describe the witch as powerful, because one does not gain power by merely having chi but rather through their cultivation of it.Īs the film went on, I became increasingly angered by the obvious neglect the production crew showed for Chinese cultural references key to the central plot. I cringed again when Mulan’s father said to her: “Chi is for warriors, not for daughters.” Originated from Taoism, Chi is a vital energy that everyone is born with regardless of gender.
I raised my eyebrows at the sight of a hakka tulou - which is a form of architecture unique to southeastern China - as Mulan’s home, which is known to be located in northern China. Yet, as I settled in to watch the remake, I felt skepticism creeping up even from the opening scenes. I was so thrilled to see my childhood heroine being represented authentically and the film’s potential to make Asian American cinematic history. I shed a few tears as I watched Yifei fighting fiercely on the battlefield while the orchestral version of “Reflection” played in the background. When I went to see “Little Women” at my local theatre last December, I saw the “Mulan” trailer play on the big screen. Ever since, I closely followed the production timeline and made plans to see it with my friends upon its release. I was also relieved that this role would be represented by a native Chinese actress and celebrated Disney’s choice for diversity. Therefore, when Disney announced that Liu Yifei had been cast to portray my favorite Disney princess in 2017, I was beyond excited. She was the first Disney princess that I could relate to and look up to.
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As a little Chinese girl, it was refreshing for me to see a heroine who shared my skin color in a Disney film and inspiring to see my own culture being represented in such a positive light.
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I always laughed uncontrollably when Mulan spilled a pot of hot tea on her matchmaker’s face and had my eyes glued to the TV screen when she saved Shang (her love interest) from the avalanche during a battle with the Huns. Though I was only four at the time, in the early 2000s, I was fascinated by Mulan’s courage and amused by her clumsy yet witty charm. She was constantly picked on in the beginning by other fellow soldiers due to her physical weaknesses, but she eventually proved herself with her determination and saved China from the Huns.
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I will always remember those summer nights I spent sprawled on my grandparents’ living room couch in China, as I passionately sang along to “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” from the animated movie “Mulan.” Based on an ancient Chinese ballad, Disney’s cartoon “Mulan” told the story of a young girl who disguised herself as a man and enlisted in the army in the place of her father. “Let’s get down to business, to defeat the Huns!”
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