Can Disney Erase the "Mulan" Backlash?

Abigail King is a Chinese-American adopted by American parents. A senior at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, Abigail once lived in China, and “Mulan” is one of her favorite films. Abigail loved the movie as a child, and was surprised to learned about the cultural misrepresentation of the film. Here Abigail discusses those misrepresentations and how the upcoming live-action version of “Mulan” has the opportunity to correct them.

When I first heard Disney was making a live-action “Mulan” film I was excited. Already my favorite Disney film, we would finally see a version with an all Asian cast. This was a huge win, particularly because it was following the success “Crazy Rich Asians.” And with this remake, Disney has the opportunity to correct some of the flaws that came with the animated “Mulan.”

Digging into Disney’s dark relationship with China, it’s clear that representing Asian films, first with “Kundun” then “Mulan,” which was supposed to win back the Chinese audience after the fiasco with “Kundun.” The issue with “Kundun” was how the movie portrayed China’s invasion and occupation of Tibet inaccurately. Disney argued it wasn’t about the political message, but “Kundun” still suffered from a backlash from China, so much so that for a time Chinese officials would not allow “Mulan” to even be shown in the country. Of course, once it was, the backlash was just as swift and decisive.

Instead of seeing the Chinese culture represented, “Mulan” focused more on the title character’s individuality as a woman, unlike the character in the original ballad. Instead of a new mainstream Chinese hero, they saw someone foreign to them in actions and deed. Though the movie looks superficially Chinese, it’s really a Western film cloaked in Chinese stereotypes, as they’ve been used over and over in Hollywood films.

Family is a huge aspect of the Chinese culture. Much of that theme was lost in the original movie. Mulan is determined to show that she, a woman, can break the gendered roles that society placed on her when she takes charge with the ambush. Even Mulan questions her reasoning saying “Maybe I didn’t go for my father. Maybe what I really wanted was to prove I could do things right, so when I looked in the mirror, I’d see someone worthwhile.” The family aspect is, at best, in the background thematically, when it should be a prominent part of the narrative.

Compared to American films, China tends to explore the concept of family in their movies. In most instances, whatever a character does, good or bad, affects their entire family. “Los Angeles Times” writer Zhiwei Xiao brings up China’s own adaptation of Mulan to show the focus on filial piety and loyalty to the emperor. These types of themes are prominent in the movies they make because it’s part of their culture. Just like how being independence and self-fulfillment is prominent in western ideologies.

Now as Disney hopes to win back the Chinese audience with this remake. They have a chance to focus more on the cultural importance of family missing in the original movie. It’s already promising, since Liu Yifei, a highly renowned star in China, took the lead role as Mulan, and giving the actors more historically accurate costumes and taking out the problematic dragon and some of the original cast. It seems that Disney is focused on fixing the flaws of the first movie and making sure they’re not repeating the same mistakes.

But will Disney go all the way, or just pay cultural lip service? Only when the movie releases will we know for sure.