A little more historical precision doesn't harm the box office

Rating: 7/10 (13 January 2013)

The movie stars the Huns as the bad guys. OK then, let's go ahead. Texts from the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) repeatedly refer to one Xiongnu tribe or tribal confederation that caused plenty of headaches to that times' Northern China. The name "Xiongnu" might be cognate to the name "Huns", but the equation Xiongnu = Huns is highly controversial among sinologists and other historians. Anyway, the Xiongnu quit China's history during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD to never come back. Now, by the time the Xiongnu raided Northern China, the most sophisticated known weapon was the crossbow. However, the movie displays a collection of arms, such as flint muskets, fuse guns, huge howitzers, old heavy mortars, that fits almost perfectly the weaponry available in the first half of the 17th century (AD, of course) so in the West as in the Far East. But, did happen anything important by then in China? Well, yes: a people first known as the Jurchens, and from then on as the Manchus, gradually increased their pressure on northern China's border, until they eventually entered Beijing in 1644 and enthroned the Qing Dynasty, the Manchu Dynasty, the last Dynasty. So our brave Mulan seems rather to fight against those Manchu invaders. And why not? Put aside Chinese popular war legends: for 2000 years they have been calling "Xiongnu" any northern invader, even Genghis Khan's Mongols. Then either the fire arms or the name "Huns" should have been removed from the screenplay. Suppressing "modern" weapons is out of question: along with them, half of the movie would go away. So, did Walt Disney Prductions - Buenavista Productions seriously think that calling "Manchus" the Manchus they would make a lesser profit? Did they really think the name "Huns" would frighten children more? The answer to both questions should be no. Changing History never improved a movie; it were always directors, characters and writers who achieved it. Oh, and don't fear for Mulans's safety: she sure got back with her family and was happy, for, although it's true that the Manchus won, once settled down in China's throne they became Chinese right away, and didn't treat their new subjects worse than other emperors. That's the magic of China: many times invaded, but never conquered.