Mulan

Introdcution

Disney proclaims that the adaptations of the Chinese story of Mulan is to transform ethnic materials into a “timeless” or “universal” classic (Kurtti 1998). Peter Schneider, Disney Feature Animation President, avers that “the search for who we are, the search for self, it an ever-ongoing process and universal theme” (Kurtti 1998, 189). Guided by this principle, Disney appropriated the Mulan story into its typical formula of a hero's journey of self-discovery. The film features Mulan as a tomboyish girl who could not fit in the traditional gender role in China. She dressed like a man and went to fight the war against the Huns in her father's place. Only in the military - a men's world traditionally - Mulan could “be true to herself” and prove herself. Eventually Mulan single-handedly won the war, saved the Chinese kingdom, and lived happily ever after (Brown, 64-66). This, in my opinion is an interesting message to the world, that reflect how women can achieve anything in this world given the strength, courage and bravery that she could attain in a man's dominated world. Mulan represents a women of substance, who achieved great heights due to her courage. This is a very insightful and thought-provoking message that highly justifies the idea behind the story.

Mulan as an Animated Film

"Mulan" is a full-length animated film, released June 19 1998 by studio Walt Disney Pictures. The film laid medieval Chinese poem about Hua Mulanje, a woman came into the army. Animation was the first of three that created in the studio of Disney-MGM Studios in Orland, Florida. Film directed by Tony Bancroft and, Barry Cook and the film is part of a "revival" of the Disney films. They are the technical characteristics of the first Disney cartoon, which used sound DTS and SDDS.

As part of the culture industry, Disney is inevitably impacted by changes in the larger social and political context in which it operates. As the U.S. society has gradually been accepting some aspects of feminist ideology, Disney could not hold on to the images of traditional women, such as Snow White. It has to invent more contemporary images with some consciousness of gender equality. Disney's Mulan also incorporates some feminist thoughts into the film. However, rather than a true endowment of female empowerment (the pseudo-feminism ends with a cliched romance with her prince charming), Disney co-opts feminism to the mainstream U.S. American culture by transforming it into the perpetuation of individualism and racial hierarchy.

In Disney's unique formulation, the goal of feminism is for women to assert their identities as autonomous individuals. Mulan, the heroin, is materialised through individual actions. Mulan single-handed won the war against Mongol troops and rescued Captain Li Shang through quick thinking and launching an avalanche on the spot. In the Imperial City, Mulan outwi ed her enemies, with the aid of her special unit, the gang of four, and rescued the Emperor and Captain Li Shang, and thus saved the Chinese Kingdom. In so doing, Disney personalises social events by collapsing ...