Still, Disney could not escape eurocentrism in this film. Disney was trying to portray a classic Chinese tale, but ended up just making Mulan a generally “Asian” story. They mixed elements of both Chinese and Japanese culture, and included details that would not have existed in the time frame of the movie, to make it more identifiably “Asian,” which let it become another negative example of Orientalism. Mulan is supposed to be a Chinese teenager, but in the beginning of the movie she wears a kimono and has a white powdered face, which is representative of Japanese, not Chinese culture. To Disney credit though, the flower that is a symbol throughout the movie is in fact a magnolia, which is a flower native to China, not a cherry blossom, which is a flower native to Japan.
Furthermore, Disney took the idea of collectivism in east Asian cultures to the extreme in this movie. Mulan is only able to become an individual and come into her own once she decides to sacrifice everything for the honor of her family, which is not realistic. The depiction of the veneration of ancestors is also made into a lighthearted, goofy topic through Mushu, Eddie Murphy’s dragon character that becomes Mulan’s sidekick, and depicted as mystical and strange when at Mulan’s house, when in reality it is an important part of Chinese culture. Overall, Disney’s euro-centric and oriental tendencies become apparent in Mulan because of the generalization of Chinese culture into just “Asian” culture. Mulan is fleshed out as a film just about the “far east” in the eyes of a younger, Western audience.
Furthermore, Disney took the idea of collectivism in east Asian cultures to the extreme in this movie. Mulan is only able to become an individual and come into her own once she decides to sacrifice everything for the honor of her family, which is not realistic. The depiction of the veneration of ancestors is also made into a lighthearted, goofy topic through Mushu, Eddie Murphy’s dragon character that becomes Mulan’s sidekick, and depicted as mystical and strange when at Mulan’s house, when in reality it is an important part of Chinese culture. Overall, Disney’s euro-centric and oriental tendencies become apparent in Mulan because of the generalization of Chinese culture into just “Asian” culture. Mulan is fleshed out as a film just about the “far east” in the eyes of a younger, Western audience.
Wow. I have never seen Mulan I must admit, but I never pictured it in this way. You wrote a profound analysis of a childhood favorite. It is really interesting how Disney ended up just mixing Japanese and Chinese culture instead of putting in slightly more work and sticking to Chinese culture. I wonder the motivations behind these decisions were. Were they just not informed, or did they do it purposefully because they truly view as all Asian cultures the same. I will never look at this movie in the same way.
ReplyDeleteI love your analysis of Mulan. I also talked about it briefly in my blog and I totally agree with your analysis. I even avoided the movie when I was a kid almost in fear of being connected with the characters that the movie portrayed. I like all of the points that you brought up and how you viewed it in a wider scope and then applying it to the issue as a whole. I have now come to enjoy the movie, mostly because of the music, but it is always important to know the faults of influencial child aimed media.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing and liking Mulan when I was younger, and continuing to find the songs catchy. However, your post and my own self-reflection made me realize how Disney utilized aspects of various cultures within Asia to fit its traditional type of narrative, which is disappointing, especially since movies like these would have had many professionals working on them but still have gone through with some of their lazier decisions.
ReplyDeleteI also loved Mulan when I was younger. Its easy to see where orientalist mindsets come from when children, while watching films like Mulan, are exposed to stigmas surrounding Asian culture. i wrote about Aladdin in my blog post, and it is a very similar analysis to the one that you made about Mulan. Overall, I really liked your blog post and the way you went about observing/analyzing Mulan and orientalism.
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