Mulan (1998/2020) - Review by Meagan Gallina

History of the film:

Both the original animated Mulan and the new 2020 live action Mulan are based off of the Ballad of Mulan. Both movies differ from the original poem and take inspiration from different periods in history. However, the new 2020 live action Mulan, boasting it is more historically accurate than the original, had extremely negative feedback. Although it has an all Asian cast, there was not much Asian representation behind the scenes; the director, costume designer, screen writers, composer, cinematographer, editor, and casting director are all white. In addition, Mulan’s actress posted on social media in support of the Hong Kong police in the middle of accusations of brutality and part of the movie was filmed in Xinjiang China, which is accused of abusing minorities. All this contributed to the film’s negative image, and although the original animated Mulan has historical accuracy issues, it has a more positive image, because it did more for Asian representation in the Western media when it was released in 1998.

Historical analysis of the film:

The Ballad of Mulan is believed to be from the Northern Wei period, however both movies take inspiration from different periods in Chinese history. In the original Mulan, the enemy is the Huns, however, they would not have been an enemy during the Northern Wei period. In the 2020 live action Mulan, her enemy is changed to the Rourans which would have likely been in conflict with China at the time. In the original animation, the movie shows the Imperial City which would not have existed yet as well as a fictional stronghold called the Tung Shao Pass, which was based on a combination of two Chinese fortresses; the ‘Tong Pass’ and the ‘Xiao Pass’. In the 2020 live action remake, Mulan’s residence was a tulou which did not exist in her time, and was from Southeast China, not the North where Mulan takes place. Another important aspect of both Mulan movies is the battle scene in which Mulan uses an avalanche to defeat her enemies. The primary weapon used was the bow and arrow, however, crossbows had already been invented in the Qin dynasty therefore it would have been more likely that the crossbow was used rather than the bow and arrow. In addition, in the original animation Mulan is seen using a cannon, however this would not have been invented yet in the Northern Wei period. There are also historical accuracy issues in the clothing Mulan wears in the live action remake; the costume designer said in an interview that she took inspiration from the Tang dynasty which occurred after Mulan’s time period.