I first read a story of Hua Mulan when I was a kid. It was from the one of the picture book of historical story in China. The story is very simple and doesn’t strike me at odd. Basically, it was about a woman who fight in a war instead of her elderly father. She was capable enough to survive the war and reveal her identity to her comrade thereafter. I thought it is cool, very normal, and not a big deal back then.
I watch Disney’s animation version of Mulan several years later. I like the movie but I don’t take it as a big deal. It’s a good movie, but it’s not one of my “all time fave”. It’s probably revolutionary for the westerner to see kick ass Asian woman. However, I was born in Southeast Asian and those character are not uncommon in Asian media. So Disney Mulan is just another cool lady protagonist that I saw million of time in Anime and Chinese’s Wuxia(aka. period martial art movie). However, I did appreciate that Disney take Chinese story and make it to something beautiful.
My thought on Mulan shift a lot once I move to US. It was slow but I realized that there are not many positive Asian female role model in American media. They are either villainous, hooker or one dimensional love interest. Disney’s Mulan stand shine above others for several reason. She’s courage, have a strong family value, and most important of all: being able to stand to tell her own story.
So when Disney decide to remade their Mulan into live action movie, I’m pretty excited. Casting Liu Yifei was sound like a good idea back then. On hindsight, she’s a good casting on paper. She was living in USA in her childhood so she probably can speak English better than other Mainland Chinese actor. She’s been in a few Hollywood movie and have name recognition in Asian country so she might draw some money there. Plus, she have an experience in Wuxia and Chinese period drama so she probably need less training on those department. While she’s well known for typecast as playing emotionless girl like Xiao Longnu and got criticize for not emote well, I believe that can be fix a bit with good script and directing. Having Donny Yen, Jet Li, and Gong Li is good as well. I was happy for the casting.
And then this movie become a mess.
Now. after a long prologue, I like to address some of those controversies of this movie before hand. Yes, Liu Yifei comment on Hong Kong is awful. Yes, the whole Xinjiang incident is horrible. There’s a lot of problem of this movie but I will focus on the movie itself, not on what controversies behind it.
Let’s start with something positive.
For me, the best thing of this movie is the costume design. As a longtime Chinese period watcher, I think it’s look accurate enough. The change of the enemy ethnicity from Huns to Rourans is also more accurate to the original source. I also appreciate that Mulan to live in Tulou. Although it felt weird at first, I appreciated it for showing a few architecture that I never seen before in other Chinese series.
Most of veteran actor like Gong Li, Tzi Ma, Donnie Yen, and Jet Li did their job pretty well. Their character is not exceptional but I think they put a bit of work in very little they have. I don’t have anything to mention of Liu Yifei though. She’s emote a bit more than usual but still in her stoic face most of the time. I don’t think she’s too horrible for the script she has but her character is definitely more boring than the animated counterpart.
I also think that the fight choreography is also pretty well done except for some move. It’s not extraordinary and there’s a few speed up but I thinks it’s pretty decent. I appreciate that Mulan actually have a fight scene along with a scene where she use a sniping and decoy tactic. I think many might feel that all those acrobatic choreograph is a bit over the top. However, this adaptation is leaning on Wuxia and supernatural side so this is very normal by Chinese movie standard.
As for the thing I feel at odd. Well, there’s quite a lot.
First thing is that all of the character are somewhat boring and uninspiring. As I mention before, Mulan came out pale in comparison of her animated version. All of the other character are not interesting either. The veteran act well but the script is clearly lacking the finish touch. All the side character aside from that are very forgettable, not well establish, and the script make them act like borderline asshole. Among all those character, Gong Li’s character is arguably the only memorable one of the bunch but that might be my bias.
Second is that this movie is CRIMINALLY abuse Chinese philosophy, especially the conceptof Chi. On basic term in real life, Chi (or Qi) is a life force that is in everyone. Chi in this movie; however, is some magical force that mostly appear in men. Woman who have Chi in this movie must hide their power other they will be accuse of witchcraft and cast out as an outcast. I know that almost every Wuxia and Xianxia(aka. Chinese fantasy movie) have some unrealistic take on chi but this is probably one of the worst. Basic concept of Chi doesn’t have anything to do with gender but this movie try to add a gender twist on it for weird reason. Saying that most woman don’t have Chi and those who have should hide it is absurd as saying that woman don’t have blood circulation and those who do should not breath. It doesn’t make sense.
The weird concept of Chi on this movie is also very inconsistency between character. The script can’t seems to make their mind on whether they want to make their Chi a kungfu power or magical power. It seems to be a kungfu power on Mulan and arguably other men but downright magic for Gong Li’s character. It doesn’t make any sense. I also dislike the fact that they use Chi as a reason that Mulan is innately powerful without doing work. It’s like telling people that they can get strong without go to gym.
Not a good message.
Aside from abusing the concept of Chi, several Chinese idiom also wildly misrepresent and doesn’t make sense. The repeat chant of “Honor”, “Loyalty, brave, and true” are vague and very meaningless. I personally found their use of “four ounce can move thousand pound” to be the most offensive.
If half-heart character and McDojo snake oil philosophy are not bad enough, the film also have one last poison. It misunderstand the message of Mulan story. By all means, all Mulan stories are a feminist story. It’s a story about a woman who prove that they can be competent as being a soldier as man does. However, there’s a key difference in this adaptation that make it pale beyond comparison of other.
That difference is that this movie do not understand the message of original adaption and push the oppression tone further than it could handle. The original Mulan ballad and Disney adaptation is a feminist but not anti-patriarchy since it was not portray as harmful and Mulan herself is serving under patriarchy. However, this movie was full of anti-patriarchy message for at least for the first half of the movie. While it’s not wrong to put anti-patriarchy in any movie, and it can be remarkable story if apply it right, that doesn’t happen in this one. The tone shift do not match well with the story.
I would like to point Disney original to show why.
In Disney original, the gender role restriction that Mulan has are base more on tradition and harmless personal bias. It was an obstacle, but a non-lethal one. Her family might expected her to be a bit more ‘traditional’ but they are not exactly force it into her throat. They console her when she mess up the funny matchmaking incident. While Li Shang look down on Mulan, it could be argue that it was not out of malice but more to the gender role conception he has. All those misogyny are not treat as seriously so we don’t view the male character as an asshole. When her comrade disguise themselves as a woman to infiltrate the palace, we learn that the expectancy to gender role do not matter. Everyone learn their lesson and move on.
In this version; however, Mulan was downright persecute for being a woman. Her father forbid her to do Kungfu because of weirdo sexist Chi discrimination when she was a kid. He also monologue that Men and world of men are danger to Mulan. The villain is a downright misogynist who compares Xian Lang(Gong Li’s character) to a dog. Her commander threaten to execute her. She doesn’t have much relation with her comrade. Even her sorta love-interest act like a stalker who get a little bit too close for comfort. None of male character are likable. They are all under patriarchy and oppress Mulan to find her self-identity. In fact, the ONLY person who encourage her to be herself is Xian Lang, who suppose to be her enemy. The message is clear. Patriarchy society is a clear threat to Mulan’s life and arguably more than the invader itself.
With these different level of misogyny in this movie, it wouldn’t work if this adaptation have the same ending as the Disney ending. Every fairy tale need clarity at the end. If Mulan is oppressed more, she must fight harder. Perhaps this movie want to give a stronger message. A message on how to improve our decrease misogyny in society.
However, the message flop as the movie come into similar conclusion. While the Khan die at the end, the patriarchy still stand. Everyone accept her as a badass, but none learn any lesson.
And to twist the knife further, while original Disney Mulan just go back home and live her life free. This version; however, might rejoin the emperor’s bodyguard. It would be a good message for female enlistment if not for a minor detail. Unlike the original which all the character improve their mindset on woman, the man in this movie remain the same. They remain the same because the script don’t let them change. Therefore, the emperor’s call to service might not be a call for improvement for woman.
But it’s a call for a woman to serve a same patriarchy that doesn’t treat woman well instead. In some sense, I would say it doesn’t satisfy the message. Why make it super anti-patriarchy if it’s going to end in compromise?
In conclusion, story of Hua Mulan is a feminist story but it doesn’t work well as a anti-patriarchy establishment piece that the writer of this movie might intend. It’s a failure because the team do not understand the culture or the source that they adapted from. They remove a few positive part like Mushu and the humor and then add a few sloppy idea on it own along with half bake, self-interpreted Chinese idiom. What we have left is McChinese dish with a nice package. The box looks good but it taste even horrible because all the extra ingredient doesn’t mix well with original recipe.
It’s not unwatchable but I can’t recommend this movie at all. There’s a lot of other live action version of Mulan elsewhere and I’m sure that at least one of them might be better than this.
Picture reference:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4566758/mediaviewer/rm3506086401/
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