‘Mulan’, Where Did it Go Wrong?
By: Dimitri Ng
Tags: Features, Culture, Feminism, Disney, Film

Mulan, Where Did it Go Wrong?

Disney+ says it’s been a huge commercial hit online, but the critical reaction has been surprisingly negative.

Feminism. Some people are all for it, in the name of equal rights for both genders. Some don’t like it because of the varying types of feminism; branching from liberal feminism to outright socialist feminism. The point is that feminism claims women are oppressed within a system that unfairly favours men. Different articles and professional debaters have varying opinions of this, and I definitely have my praise and criticisms, although I’m not going to involve myself in this topic of discussion so readily! (The Internet is a scary place.)

From the likes of Hélène Cixous, talking about sexuality and language, to Malala Yousafzai, an advocate of girl schools and the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014…. different eras are met by different women who strive to make the so-called “equal society” a reality.

Mulan does not.

To be clear, I’m referring to 2020 Mulan, not the 1998 animated original. Like all remakes, this live-action version of such a beloved film had the unenviable task of bringing back the magic of its predecessor while adding its own unique modern flavour.

Recent questionable remakes from Disney and the alleged controversies surrounding Mulan’s production made it a subject of a boycott. Despite that, Mulan is also an achievement for Asian representation in Hollywood. It has a cast of some of the best actors Asia has to offer (including Gong Li, Jet Li, Donnie Yen, and the eponymous character played by Liu Yifei). Where racial diversity is concerned, Mulan certainly checks off boxes. So where did it all go wrong for a film dedicated to transcending the barriers of racial and gender division, when the same original movie more or less succeeded?

1998

Amidst the third wave of feminism in 1998, Mulan feels like another feminist film promoting the empowerment of women. Sure, it sets a positive tone for young girls to aspire to greater things in life, but the animated film itself doesn’t break barriers in terms of traditional gender stereotypes. There’s a girl wielding a sword and not needing a man to save her, but there’s more to just this surface-level feminism.

What is a stereotype? All Jews are greedy. All Asians like to eat rice and drive slow. All Arabs and Muslims are terrorists. Making a judgement about a group of people without knowing them, is stereotyping. With talks today about the “broken system”, Mulan uses gender stereotypes to show exactly how men are “privileged” in society. We see the men given specific roles, such as being the breadwinner of a family, and also the only gender allowed in the army. Women are meant to dress up pretty, pour tea expertly, and uphold all the misogynistic jokes about them. To top it off, the resilient stereotypes are often reinforced by social oppressions. Now, more than ever, we hear vocabulary like “patriarchy” and “capitalism” being thrown around — flat-out prejudicing women and minority groups.

This is what 1998’s Mulan exemplifies.

As a Disney film, Mulan isn’t short of its own musical renditions, with a wonderfully crafted soundtrack to complement its themes. The song “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” is a prime candidate demonstrating the stereotypical view of what makes someone a man. Besides having the appropriate genitalia, other prerequisites include brawn and strength. General Shang demands sons instead of daughters, which affirms the belief that only men are allowed in war. The army the general leads is no-nonsense, and that applies to his stringent adherence to the no-girls rule. It’s a place meant to transform sons into men, so there’s absolutely no room for any opposing feminine traits. Ergo, this systemic cleansing of womanly stuff is seen as the best way to win wars.

You’ll bring honour to us all.

There is particular emphasis on bringing honour to one’s family in Mulan ‘98, extending to Chinese traditions. Where the stereotype of having to achieve perfect grades is more or less a reality for Chinese households, honour back then came in two distinct forms: for men, it was army duty; for women, it was to be married off to a wealthy family and bear children.

Femininity doesn’t go well with masculinity according to Mulan. Any girl watching the initial scenes of the film would be dissuaded from pursuing a career because the setting in Mulan is a one-way-trip to marriage and wifehood, enough to make Simone de Beauvoir roll in her grave. Unlike men, women are portrayed in negative ways; feeble, vulnerable, and downright insignificant side characters to the lead male character’s arc. This is where Disney thrives, since almost all their material centres around a female lead.

In the end, Mulan’s climax is what makes it an overall success in female empowerment. It’s easy to simply make Mulan save the Emperor, but it’s the way in which she performs this deed that leaves a strong impression. Mulan learns there’s no point in hiding who she really is — a woman infiltrator and imposter, yet equally devoted to her country. Despite the army and society’s bias against her, Mulan is the one to do what the other men have been incapable of. Where muscles fail, intelligence and (dare I say) feminine traits have gotten the job done. Think back to the scene when no man succeeds at climbing a pole and Mulan has the ingenious idea of hoisting herself up. The premise makes sense; if you want to win a war, shouldn’t you enlist the more pragmatic soldiers, instead of just the big tough guys? Perhaps that’s why women live longer than men.

However, the greatest thing the climax involved is actually feminine traits. The same group of men who fail at pole-climbing are able to do even harder tasks by donning makeup and otherwise, feminine features. Of course, it’s a hyperbolic compliment of feminine traits, but the climax and the ending are also what removes the stereotypes given by the beginning of the film. Womanhood should be celebrated, not rejected. Both men and women have their intrinsic and biological advantages, so why promote one and diminish the other? I myself don’t agree with blaming social and economical constructs for the downfall of women today, though it feels indubitable that femininity is not given enough credit. After all, we need each other to survive in this cruel world.

2020

Fast-forward to a year riddled with turmoil, 2020 — and the new version of Mulan, streaming on Disney+, probably makes matters worse. Remakes come and go without leaving a lasting impression. Remember 1998’s Psycho’s remake? Ben-Hur from 2016? The absolute trainwreck that is 2019’s Charlie’s Angels? An interesting thing about the latest Angels do-over is that, while it tries to achieve the same things the 1970s TV series did, the theme of female empowerment seems to have gone downhill because of cringy virtue-signalling.

This year’s Mulan feels mundane, just like any failed remake out there. After repeated viewings, I’ve come to the conclusion it’s meant to be an experiment from Disney to see if their streaming service can become its own home cinema platform. First and foremost, the film doesn’t satisfy the expectations of the audience. Secondly, it does more wrong than right.

In terms of lacking creativity, the film takes no prisoners. There’s almost no plot difference between the newer release and the original, so the latter version flounders at defining itself, which is a common problem plaguing remakes. What’s supposed to set the film apart from its predecessor is the more “grounded feel” to it; so flush away the musical numbers. It’s hard to imagine grown men (and women) breaking into dance routines like they do in The Wizard of Oz. In its absence, Mulan is blessed with Chi, subsequently the reason behind her incredible spear-kicking and gravity-defying wall-running. It also somehow explains her tomboyish behaviour.

Mulan’s military routine is as awkward as the film, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. On the contrary. To hide her identity, Mulan has to wake up earlier than the boys and probably train even harder. This act is symbolic of what women have to endure in society; get up earlier to put on makeup, dress appropriately, and pay more attention to their physique. Men, on the other hand, don’t have to undergo as much.

Spoilers for Mulan in the paragraph below.

However, the nail in the coffin has to be the way the climax is handled. Mulan defeats the bad guy, sure, but there’s a missing feeling to this sequence. Because of her Chi and goodness (not to mention cringy phoenix wings), Mulan overpowers the evil warlord Bori Khan and saves the Emperor. Again, Mulan fails to understand why the original was empowering to women. It succumbs to the same lazy writing, where the character with the biggest stick wins the battle, promoting muscles and brawn all over again. Can women be strong? Sure, but the point is to showcase other feminine traits, in the form of virtues.

I’m making an assumption here, but it’s like the director just wanted a woman to do a man’s job, rather than recognize the other good qualities of women. Charlie’s Angels fell flat due to the same issue too. Worst of all, when she’s given the honour of joining the Emperor’s gang, the audience can instantly recall all the hoops she had to jump through to get her recognition. Do men have to save a whole entire kingdom to gain this popularity? The film fights inequality, with inequality, in the name of inequality, which is not only contradictory but also resuming the dichotomy of men and women.

Mulan’s story comes from an old Chinese poem. Upon discovery of her gender, her male army compatriots are stupefied to learn that they’ve been trolled for twelve years. Mulan’s response?

The Mulan of 2020 says the same line at the beginning of the film when let’s face it, the audience has no idea what she’s talking about. With man and woman, side by side as equals, it’s hard to distinguish them from each other. Asian audiences are undoubtedly offended because this Mulan makes no effort to comprehend the poem. Literally, all the film has done is cram a bunch of Chinese-related stuff and call it a day. Tea, wuxia swordplay, Kung Fu, Chi, the list goes on. No wonder Asians are misunderstood in the western world. The film fights inequality, with inequality, in the name of inequality. Sound familiar? All this needless virtue-signalling is why most “diverse” films today, don’t work.

Aside from the bashing and cheesy dialogue, Mulan is an admittedly beautiful film to behold. Whether it’s the VFX, stunts, or cinematography, this remake certainly leaves the 1998 version in the dust visually. There’s enough vibrance to be on par with Moulin Rouge (2001), so kudos to everyone working behind the camera.

What’s the verdict? Mulan is a hollow excuse for a remake, reminiscent of the “let me copy your homework” meme. No matter how much it tries to imitate its target, the important themes stay absent. The result of riding on the 1998’s coattails, is a forgettable attempt at fuelling a social movement. Even though they’re both served on the same plate, 2020 tastes worse than in 1998. For a film with the intention of helping a cause, Mulan needed to do its homework.