Another one of Disney’s best-animated movies is the movie ‘Mulan’. Directed by Barry Cook and Tony Bancroft, ‘Mulan’ was released in cinemas during the Disney Renaissance — specifically on 19th June 1998 in the United States — and it remains one of the must-watch movies in the world of animation. Interestingly enough, ‘Mulan’ was originally inspired by Hua Mulan, a legendary Chinese warrior; stories about her have been passed down in China for thousands of years. Disney, for the most part, saw the ‘Ballad of Mulan’, a folk song first composed during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-535 AD), as a reliable source to understand the heroic tale before finally creating the film.
The movie is set in ancient China which was ruled by the Chinese Emperors. The protagonist, a young girl who responds to the name Mulan, is portrayed as being brave, fearless, and courageous throughout the movie. Contrary to her family’s expectations of her, Fa Mulan defies the limits set upon women and creates a path of her own.
The story sheds light on the societal norms prevalent during those times when girls were raised to become better future wives and manage their household, thereby bringing honour to their families. It is what of expected of Mulan too; however, when she fails to comply with the rules of society, the matchmaker dismisses her as a complete disgrace to her family. It was during this time that China was under attack by the Huns. Subsequently, a written notification was dispersed throughout China asking that at least one man from every family must join the Imperial Chinese Army, as the time had come for them to stand up for their motherland.
Because the only male member in Mulan’s family was her father, Fa Zhou — a retired veteran, too old to be able to stand up against the Huns — Mulan grew uptight as she kept insisting on not letting her father go face the danger when he wasn’t really in a position to do so. Although her father knew his returning home after the battle was far from reality, he put his country before his life, just like the brave war hero that he had been. At the time, most young women were more focused than ever on becoming better wives — even though China’s winning wasn’t guaranteed — and kept dreaming of marrying warriors returning from the great battle; everyone appreciated women who successfully ran their households. Mulan, unlike them, was busy brainstorming ways to stop her father from going where she instinctively knew he wouldn’t return from.
Women were strictly prohibited from joining the Army. Nevertheless, Mulan does something no young maiden would dare to do: she cuts her long hair, disguises herself as a man, and leaves her home to join the Army without her family knowing about it. Should she get caught, she would be severely punished for breaking the ethos of the society. When her family discovered this, they saw prayer as their last resort. Finally, they sent Mushu, a legendary talking dragon who was also their family guardian, to guide Mulan. Arriving at the training camp, Mulan introduces herself as Fa Ping, the only representative from her family, and embarks on strenuous training under the Captaincy of Li Shang. The real adventure begins from here.
Ming-Na Wen played as the voice actor of Fa Mulan and Lea Salonga provided her singing voice. In addition to this, Eddie Murphy, BD Wong, June Foray, and Miguel Ferrer are seen starring as Mushu, Captain Li Shang, Grandmother Fa, and Shan Yu. The characters are nicely developed and their fine depiction is what makes any movie for this matter a compelling watch. ‘Mulan’ is capable of holding the viewers’ interest through its splendid storyline. Its animation isn’t something one might find these days, but the fantastic dialogues make up for that. With a running time of 1 hour and 28 minutes and a meticulously prepared plot, viewers are bound to feel a plethora of emotions which is a mix of happiness, laughter, and suspense. Just like every other Disney movie there is, this is also a musical movie, with melodious songs sung by the characters every once in a while. ‘Mulan’ mainly focuses on the idea of women’s empowerment. Moreover, the film sheds light on patriotism, the love and affection of a daughter for her family which no words could express, and the responsibilities of a girl which extend beyond just being just a wife and a mother. ‘Mulan’ consists of a decent number of themes like fantasy, mystery, adventure, action, and love. While this movie occasionally arouses our sympathy for Mulan, it also provides the audience with comic relief from time to time.
When Shang exempts Mulan from any legal action after her identity is discovered following a battle with the Huns, the Imperial Army departs leaving her to head back home. However, Mulan cleverly sees through the plan of the Huns and discovers that their leader, Shan Yu, and his warriors are still alive; she dedicated herself to protecting China although no one acknowledged her sacrifices. She tried to warn the captain but no one believed her. Later in the movie, she took on the responsibility of fighting against the Huns, bravely pinning down Shan, their leader, when the entire Imperial Chinese Army consisting solely of men was defeated.
In the end, Mulan not only saves China but also sets out an instance for girls who choose to remain silent. Praising her efforts, the Chinese emperor gave the fearless warrior a crest and Shan Yu’s sword. She finally received her well-deserved respect throughout China, serving as a role model for women and broadening the horizons of the people. Additionally, Shang, the Captain, acknowledges her potential and the movie ends on a positive note showing Shang visiting her house and accepting her invitation to stay up until night for dinner.
The movie has a simple yet effective idea of resilience. It shows how open-minded society we have to have where women can take pride in who they are and what they do. Further, it defies the common belief people used to have and still do about male dominance in society. The themes presented in the movie resonate with present times. It redefines our understanding of a woman’s role in our world. All in all, ‘Mulan’ is one of the finest movies there is for people of all ages to watch, for it is movies like these that contribute in some way or the other to uplift the mentality of our society. To sum up, this animated movie makes the perfect fit for an inspirational, thought-provoking, and adventurous movie that is sure to entertain viewers while also motivating them to make a positive difference in this world.
By: Srishti Suman Gupta
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