I love all your videos but this might be my favorite! I had very similar feelings about Mulan as a child and only in recent years did I realize/fully accept why. Thank you for your take!
Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your videos. I found your channel about a year ago and have been an avid watcher ever since. Your content is delightful and thought provoking; as an aspiring artist, I always find it simultaneously insightful and inspiring. You are doing great work. Know that whenever I see the notification that you have just put out a new video, my day is instantly brightened. Keep putting out outstanding content!
Sorry buddy but you cant lisp this much then act we didnt already know you liked dudes from the get. No offense but you sound too effite to not be sus there Paul Lynd
And the scene where Mulan comes back with "honor" in the animation her dad throws the "honor" away to hug his daughter instead. I feel like that's an incredibly important scene
Seriously. "Father. I brought you the sword of Shan-Yu. And!! the crest of the Emperor. They're gifts, to honor the Fa family." Dad: "Come're and give me a gd hug I thought I'd never see you again"
He does not even look at them, he barely touches and immediately discards them and says "the only gift and honor this family needs is you". Dang I haven't even seen this movie in ages but I remember every line
I loved his line then. "The greatest gift and honor, is having you, for a daughter." Like what kid does not want to hear their parents say basically that, more than their achievements and ability, the fact that they are their child is more than enough or rather the best gift and pride the parents could ever have. Especially when a lot of kids, particularly in Asia gets so much pressure to be the "pride", to be "worthy" of their family.
Man, the older I become, the more I relate to Mulan. I know I will never hear those words from my parents because it just feels like whatever I do will never be good enough for them unless I fit into their mold of what a perfect daughter/child is.
That's without even considering marketing which by the rule of thumb should be another 200 million. Possibly even more since it was marketed hard in china too
It's not exactly true. That's the theater sales, when the movie was simultaneously released on digital and theaters at the same time. Disney and really other companies as well don't usually disclose the digital sales at least in as transparent way as they do theatrical.
@@shandorno6305 It's not just schadenfreude though. There is also the more constructive reason to be happy about this that it _might_ teach Disney that their cynical calculation of pumping out lazy live action remakes of popular movies and people will watch it anyway because nostalgia does not actually work. With a bit of luck we're going to see some more original stuff instead. Maybe.
@@petscraftsandwonderfulthin1279 I mean, it’s a movie both feminists and non-feminists can get something out of. For feminists, it’s about a woman not being completely what is expected of a woman or man, but using the strengths she does have to get ahead in a traditional society. For non-feminists, it isn’t a hamfisted story about a woman who wants to break the gender binary for some grand statement or whatever, it’s just about a woman who wants to protect what’s important to her.
“Chi is for warriors, not daughters”, Dude, cartoon dad would’ve slapped this guy silly for talking to his daughter like that. A moment that’s supposed to be an emotional bonding time and they have him talk down to her??!!??
It’s because of instead trying to tell a story with a positive message they had to implement their man hating agenda. Hollywood doesn’t care about the original purpose of cinema which was to allow people to take a break from the real world and be entertained and possibly even inspired. They just care about implementing their work intersectional agenda. Instead of the father being an encouragement, he’s a villain, an obstacle. Because...patriarchy. Also I think a big part of this messaging fails because the feminist themes of the original movie were actually important and based off real society in trying to encourage young woman to be what they want. Instead this movie bases it off of the false premise that men are oppressing women, at least in western society, and instead of encouraging them to enjoy their freedom of opportunity it’s telling them your not allowed to enjoy being feminine. It’s taking away that choice, they don’t want little girls to aspire to being a mother or a “lady”, even if that’s what they want.
@@reecegeorgens1755 Uhhhhhh are you talking about mulan? An eastern society? In a movie that takes place in an earlier period? Depicting patriarchy which is a part of the foundation of that culture? Maybe you think it's man hating because you haven't experienced the abuse and neglect. I have problems with how movies portray things because it creates stupid expectations in young people as they grow up which can be harmful. One thing that I don't mind though is depiction of harassment and abuse in movies from guys. Do women do it as well to men? Of course. Are most men good? Most likely. Is this depiction inaccurate to real life? No. It's not. I've lived it and claiming it's 'man hating' isn't accurate. Movies are about story telling and part of the allure and fascination is that most of them aren't true. Conflict is gold and that's part of the reason why they have these scenes but also because movies reflect our culture and our people.
The main failure of this film was that they tried to make Mulan being a strong, independent woman without understanding why she's considered a strong woman in the first place.
They tried to make Mulan be a "Strong Independent Woman" - the stereotype of a Strong Female Character that hack screenwriters think is progressive. She's quick to violence and 'fights good'. She doesn't display any emotion that could be construed as weakness. It's spelled out to the audience that she 'don't need no man'. She has a stunted character arc, because she's unable to overcome flaws - because a Strong Female Character can't have flaws, not really, because flaws could be construed as weakness. Everything about a 'Strong Female Character' is defined by how afraid her writers are, of anything that some hypothetical viewer might hold against them.
Man, that really annoys me. She was strong, so she has to be stronger. That bothers me because it’s like Disney’s saying she wasn’t independent enough in last movie.
Not only this, but there was the discussion of masculine and feminine traits as traditionally understood by society. I do not understand why all "Strong Female Characters" are always defined by how they display masculine traits better than men and have all femininity stripped away. I feel many of these characters aren't feminist at all, but the opposite. You can be strong and compassionate etc
I always loved Shan Yu's lack of reaction of Mulan being a woman, she puts her hair back and he's just like "The soldier from the mountain.... DIE" and I appreciate that
I love that. What I love about the moments Be A Man plays is, in the first montage, Mulan gets the arrow through cleverness and thinking, rather then brute force. And when it plays again during the crossdressing, not only are they disguised as women, but they're doing the same thing Mulan did to get the arrow. So much beautiful symbolism.
We re-watched Mulan the other night and my younger brother, who was a smaller kid the last time we watched it, noticed that. He thought it was really cool. I do love that they add that moment of reaching across, making it feel manly to do what it takes to solve a problem no matter what, not just something Mulan has to do.
@FBI Exactly. Mulan wasn't any less of a woman for dressing like a man, and her friends weren't any less of men for dressing like women. It's a great parallel.
Someone else mentioned that Mulan's closest army friends are representations of "flawed" men. One is short, one lanky, one fat. But during the training montage, they actually take a page out of Mulan's book and use cleverness to account for their shortfallings.
kinda reminds me of the thought that Shang (the perfect man that he is) looks up to these "flawed" men(and Mulan) for their cleverness. He doesnt go all "bodybuilder gym bro who only values physical gainz" but admires their thinking and promotes them. And at the same time as they use their smarts to defend the Emperor, he also makes himself useful - which basically says that all men are strong, equal and worthy in their own ways.
“The greatest gift and honor is having you for a daughter.” I always choke up at that line because this dad just loves his daughter. He was already proud of her. He throws the reward the literal symbols of honor for their family on the ground to embrace his daughter and my heart is full typing this. I need to to go cry.
I was on the story crew of the original Mulan. We ALMOST made Mulan a capable warrior, but ultimately decided that that gave her NO ROOM to grow. Instead, we liked the idea of a SMART heroine that was placed in extremely difficult circumstances. I LOVE your series of videos, and was gratified to see this one. Thank you!
I love the original Mulan movie. So I say to you and the rest of your story crew, very well done. You know what you were doing. You made one of the best Disney movies ever.
_"By attaching it to the matchmaker scene, the movie has made the fan a symbol of her femininity. At the very end, when she's completely out of options, she uses a fan to disarm Shan Yu. It's a great moment that unites all of the themes around gender expectations in the movie, letting her win in a man's world by using the symbol of femininity as a source of strength."_ This is an aspect of Mulan that doesn't get talked about NEARLY enough. Every time Mulan is propped up as "empowering", it's often on the back of her warrior ability, that she _fought_ her way through her problems. We don't highlight enough that she actually solves most of her problems _without_ relying on her ability to fight, and instead by making space for her feminine qualities. In a world where definitions of "strength" are often still masculine, we need to talk about this more.
So true. That line in the video also really resonated with me. I hadn't thought of that scene that way before, but even if one's not aware of exactly what that scene is doing with that symbolism, it comes through somehow to the subconscious.
She embraces her feminity to disarm the Apex evil man, and by defeating him saves the Apex of the good man, the patriarch and thus the society she is part of. And as a final result she gains her family's respect and honor AND the most valuable man in marriage (implied by granma). She initially struggled with the imposed rules of society on how she had to uphold her femininity, fled into masculinity, only to return to femininity and, as if by magic, attracted peak masculinity. The concept has become so alien in todays world that the movie makers can't even reproduce it anymore.
Yeah I was mind blown when he said that. Like, I already knew she did things her own way and all that but I never made that specific connection. It continues to baffle me how good and smart old shows and movies are.
The scene where Mulan's father tells her "I know my place, it is time you learned yours" is particularly heartbreaking and jarring *because* we've seen him be an ally to her after the matchmaking disaster. We've seen her dad "take her side" before and we're shown that they have a wonderful relationship. So when he scolds her, effectively reinforces the same gendered expectations that everyone else has been subjecting her to, it really drives in the severity of the situation. Both scenes work on their own sure but when watched in tandem, the juxtaposition is what causes their relationship to feel so real and it adds such depth to it. Gah! This movie truly is the best disney has to offer.
Exactly! It shows you that this man is scared and saying whatever he can to assure himself and protect his family in that moment - he doesn't actually believe what he's saying. It's great characterization and as a writer it's such a good moment.
@@fabiennevlcan-sparks7445 It's so real. Nobody is perfect, everyone has the capacity to say things they don't really believe in the heat of an argument, and so it takes Mulan's father from perfect to good but normal human
It's so beautiful the way it starts with "I know my place" because it's a man processing his role and feeling how unjust that is, but then pushing it on his daughter out of frustration.
@@fabiennevlcan-sparks7445 this is interesting. for me, it felt like no matter how good a man can seem, they're still subject to patriarchal beliefs. whoever you are to them, however much they love you, they won't hesitate to enforce patriarchy and limit you if the situation calls for it.
@@scaramoucheysimp Yes. He had biases but under normal circumstances he suppressed them. He saw that Mulan needed a father with unconditional love, and tried to be that for her. However, in a moment of crisis, those biases come to the fore and he said something he doesn't really mean.
It was my first experience seeing a woman - a young girl, did what considered manly things without throwing away her feminity. As a kid back then, I love Mulan
I distinctly remember getting up from my seat at the theater to get as close to the screen as I could. I was 5 years old and it was the first time I saw a girl fight, I was amazed. Still one of my favorite movies ever.
As cliche as it might be, as a preteen and early teenager I got sucked into the “no femininity allowed” black hole, and the OG Mulan helped me remember that I can be both strong and a feminine woman. A part of me always knew but it really clicked at the end when she was fighting in a dress, something just sparked in me.
_Exactly!_ It seems we grew up in a time when we grasped that women can do “anything” a man can do and she doesn’t have to shat on her femininity to do it. We also weren’t offended by the fact that _most_ women, though they can do the same athletic activities as a man simply aren’t going to be as strong or fast as _most_ men... (which is why I put ‘anything’ in quotes and italicized ‘most’, because we all know there are some genetic anomalies out there of women who are just physically gifted and men who just aren’t physically bigger and stronger), it is what it is, and the facts of those typical genetic traits have never triggered me. I always took great pride whenever I could beat a guy in some physical activity, unless they were clearly not athletic (or what I would’ve called “scrawny” back then), the possibility of beating an athletic male counterpart kept me competitive and was a source of great fun and camaraderie. Outside the world of athletics, I never once thought growing up that men had a genetic leg-up. I always inherently knew we had the same potential for “smarts” and could work toward the same goals as far as careers go. I knew there was a bit of silly old-fashioned prejudice out there, but never attributed it to lack of ability. Pushing ourselves toward our goal to _earn_ what we want, and not whining about results, but getting up and pushing ourselves again to earn it - overcome these hurdles by hard work - is what makes us strong. Mulan was just one seed of many planted throughout my life that I could do anything I worked hard enough at and I didn’t have to sacrifice my femininity to do it. She was a WOMAN, she was smart and she worked hard to prove and improve herself on many fronts. The Mary-Sue’s of recent entertainment convey the opposite message and it’s sickening. 🤮
@@mena94x3 totally agree! it feels like studios have got the wrong idea about feminism - they think we want to see women being badass, strong, great fighters etc, but those are all traditionally /masculine/ qualities. It feels like the female characters we see are actually competing with the men over who has more of these 'great' qualities with traditionally female qualities discarded, reinforcing the idea that women can only be strong if they become more like men.
@@mena94x3 This! Mulan was the embodiement of that "girls can play ball, too" feeling of the late nineties and early thousands. I was six or seven when it came out and I dressed as Mulan for Carnaval (US's Mardi Gras), because it was feminine but a little badass too. She could wear make up and pink and still kick ass and get her happy ending. As a now 28yo on her way to become a surgeon that wears heels and make up to the hospital, but changes into scrubs and ties her up under a cap to surgically kick tumours ass, I think Mulan was actually the closest thing to a "future me" ideal Disney ever presented me with. Not that I didn't love the other princesses, but Mulan was the one that did a little more than wait for rescue or help. Mulan saved an entire country. She didn't need a prince or a lover, she had friends and she had brains. When I saw the trailer I was heartbroken. I was immediately opposed to the notion of spending a dime to watch this film, and none of the videos and reviews I've seen so far have managed to even make a dent on that first impression. I don't want a Mary-Sue with special powers, I want a strong character that happens to be a woman and dares to be feminine, while rocking her life. What's so hard about it? They used to know what it looked like, they used to write them.
Even as a fairly generically masculine guy, Mulan is my favorite Disney movie. It taught me that courage comes from the desire to protect those you love. And a big heart knows no gender.
i dont know where i heard this but i love reiterating it to my friends and other men; "a harmless man is not a good man. a good man is very dangerous who chooses to do no harm."
Also a cardboard cut out white dad of 3 girls and it’s my favourite too. I think for me the biggest takeaway was Bravery. She’s just so fuckin brave, but she’s never fearless until that moment at the end disarming Shan yu and that matters so damn much for her arc. That whole time with the army, even during the avalanche scene shes fumbling panicked with the flint, she flees Shan yu when she’s unarmed... But cornered on that rooftop out of options her face, oh man look at her satisfied confident face when she disarms him. That for me is the spirit of this move in just a few short seconds.
The original Mulan was such a masterpiece. You have no idea how much I bawled when I put two and two together between the "a girl worth fighting for song" and finding the little girl's doll in the burnt down village scene. A girl worth fighting for.
Yeah… an absolutely genius song and scenes. It’s when they realize just how serious everything is and all their boyish innocence gets washed away with the brutality of war. It’s so swift. It’s so _sobering_ oh I love it so much. Like, you would expect a fun song from Disney movies, but here, that was the _last_ song! What does that say?? And it’s barely half-way through. brilliant.
Ok, but you could take that a step further and say that the reason people don't neatly fit into this binary interpretation of being a "man" or "woman" is that masculinity and femininity are constructs. They're performative traits that different societies/cultures have associated with sex/gender. They're clearly amorphous concepts that have shifted for millennia.
@@vanillaoverdosed7398 yeah- but then again sex isn't exactly black and white either. Intersex people exist. Those traits exist, but even old cultures had other identities people fit under and chose other than man and woman. Basically, humanity is a lot more complex even biologically.
@@sillycookie debatable. Yes intersex people exist and are accommodated traditionally, but they were really the minority in most cases quantity-wise. That's like almost saying our 'culture' and biology wasn't built around two legged people because 3, 1.5, 1, 0 legged people exist. Nowadays, we like to downplay our sexual dimorphism a lot. Straightforwardly speaking, true equality of gender expression can only occur if sexual differences are completely neutered and all humans are encouraged to do whatever they want. Until then, we'll just have account for sexual differences and indeed we do, in subconscious ways.
@@vanillaoverdosed7398 imo, gender equality should be a thing despite any physical differences we may have on our bodies. Like we shouldn't have our lives predetermined because of how we're built. But that's my opinion.
I like that Mulan struggled with being what society expected, whether that was traditional femininity or traditional masculinity, but at the end of the day, she was best just being herself.
i remember some misguided critiques of the '98 Mulan saying that she is only successful when she is a man and not a woman....when that's not what is told in the story at all. Mulan doesn't succeed when she is PERFORMING femininity or even when she's Performing Masculinity in the Song a "Make a man out of you" she is trying to "be a man" and yet...the turning point for her is when she stops thinking about how a man is expected to complete the tasks and instead turns to her cleverness to complete them.
I think a lot of people miss that, but the costume choice makes that crystal clear. When Mulan appears in scenes as the person she really is, she is neither dolled up for a matchmaker nor wearing her soldier's garb. That's what she looks like when she defeats Shan Yu. it's just... her.
Fun fact: The live action version of Mulan misuses the term “Chi” in pretty much every scene. When I was little, my mom (who was born and raised in Singapore) taught me that in any sentence, you should be able to replace the word “Chi” with “Blood”. It’s not the best method to tell if you’re using the word correctly, but it works well enough. So under these rules, when Mulan’s father tells her that only warriors have chi, he is telling her that only warriors have blood. 10/10 movie ladies and genders 👏👏
I see that the four writers of the movie forgot that women bleed on a monthly basis. But that could be because the US school system failed spectacularly at teaching Sex Ed. But in all seriousness, the way the writers treat "chi" like it's magic or the force because Disney also owns Star Wars and "well, lets work with a concept we are familiar with" is insulting and shows how little they cared in properly researching and writing about it. I even hesitate to call it racism because that would imply the writers thought about intentionally misrepresenting "chi," when the simple explanation of "they were just lazy and doing this for a big fat check after they were done" is more accurate.
@@arthurfine4284 it has nothing to do with star wars, adding a random magic system and basing it loosely on some cultural concept by highly misrepresenting it, is a go-to Hollywood move I would say
@NoirRaven Yeah, especially when they depict the emperor as a warrior capable of catching arrows with his hands. Of course Mulan bows to him, Xi Jinping would never bow down before a simple soldier
@@NoirRaven its also weird because if they were suppose to tailor this to a Chinese audience, who values family and serving them and taking care of them, why did they strip the relationships even more? Like the new Mulan doesn't have the individualism of the 90s Mulan, which, fine, is a western value they wanted to change. But she doesn't have any connection to her family either.
You articulated mulan's confusion and discomfort with performing masculinity so well! I think that's an underrated aspect of the original movie- both femininity and masculinity are shown to be reductive and performative and mulan's growth involves her realizing she doesn't need to perform either perfectly to have worth. It's a great deconstruction of the rigid binary view of gender that the remake misses the mark on.
Also one of the reasons Mulan has trouble being male is because she’s getting bad advice from Mushu, whose giving her advice based off the cliche and stereotypical aspects of make bravado it’s only when she is more genuine that she doesn’t come off as awkward and blends in better.
Absolutely! Gender roles and expression are on a rapid, constantly changing grey scale at all times in our lives. There is no way to be feminine or masculine in the "ideal" sense, we are all parts of both. Mulan meant a lot to me as a person understanding that I can embrace myself and my choice of expression (Yknow, in a positive sense) and do away with the fears of cultural gendered expectations.
Not really. What the film shows is that while as a woman she is different from the men, she can get there through effort. I think you just made up whst the movie said in order to make it fit with your worldview. It is like people claiming this film as a bisexuality icon, when the only reason he is attracted is because Mulan is a woman (even when dressed as a man), we don't see him care at all for men.
@@juanlulourido548 he was attracted to Mulan even without knowing she's a woman. Just because he's attracted to a man (in that case Mulan but he still thought Ping was a man) doesnt mean he should be attracted to Every Man Ever.
They said they would make it more realistic but they end up adding a highly unrealistic witch and add a Phoenix that doesn't even show up the way it is described in Chinese mythology. By making it "more realistic" they made it less realistic. Pretty ironic isnt it.
I loved how she wasn't just a fish out of water with the manly side of things, but with the womanly side of things too. Social norms are so confusing an restrictive, and I love how she was accepted as being herself in the end, regardless of if she fit into those norms.
But in the end you should remember that you can be yourself in whatever way you want. And the world will still have a way to dunk on you. So do be cautious of other people taking advantage on you
Now this, this is an underrated comment right here. It just opened up a whole new perspective of subtle yet deeper understanding of the film, yet again. It's the kind of film that has just about unlimited replay-value, as it is so layered in its writing, as well as in its overall artistic and entertainment merit. Cheers :)
She's obviously an enby icon but I think it's very relevant for autistic people as well, we have higher rates of gender nonconformance in part because of difficulties with social norms
One thing I always found interesting about the original movie is this: When Shan Yu (is that how you spell the bad guy?) threatens the emperor and is like: "bow to me!'',the emperor simply replies: "no matter how much the wind howls, the mountain cannot bow to it." In the end, however, everyone including the emperor bows to Mulan, so what does that make her?
I love that line cause like... The wind cannot make the mountain bow to it - Shan Yu cannot make the Emperor, nor the people of China, bow to him. They are a people who could not be forced to bow. When they bow to Mulan, when the Emperor bows to her, they are choosing to do so, not because anyone made them. And I love that so much.
8:30 "It's like a note missing at the end of a song." The original Mulan really understood how to use this concept so well, especially considering: "A girl worth fighting---"
“Mulan has to survive the war so that she can get back and give her dad a hug” = best TLDR of a Disney movie ever Thanks for this thoughtful and brave analysis.
One of my favorite things about the original Mulan are the side characters. Everyone in the story grows alongside Mulan. It isn't just her story, but also about how to be a community and support each other. The only character who doesn't grow is Chi Fu and he gets his proper comeuppance. Li Shang probably grows the least, as he is always presented as an upstanding fellow, but I really love that the way he grows is to let himself be vulnerable, being all tough-guy through the movie but slowly letting his softness and awkwardness come out. But far and away my favorites are Yao, Ling, and Chien Po. They start out as distilled examples of toxic masculinity, saccharine enough for a kids movie but it gets across pretty well. But the moments they shine are when Mulan is injured and revealed as a woman, and at the Emperor's palace when they go after Shan Yu. Without question or hesitation they rush to her aid immediately, as friends who genuinely care about her and respect her. I loved those moments so much, and they meant a lot to me.
exactly!! Li Shang wasn’t done with his arc, learning to respect and trust Mulan even though she’s a woman, but her friends _were_ They didn’t hesitate at all. They were the ones defending Mulan when she was meant to be executed. I also adored them!
@@mendelevio57 not sure if you know of this one, but there's one by an actual Chinese woman that breaks it down by cultural inaccuracies and general annoyances.
@@mendelevio57 I also like this review, my favourite one, because there is a new perspective explored within the film from a Chinese career coach’s perspective. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZSUu2MQXeeA.html&app=desktop
In the original, when her father yells at her "I know my place, it's time you learned yours!" we are rightly upset and hurt. She's shocked, and it isn't like she submits to the idea throughout the rest of the movie- she makes her place. In the remake, she folds into that role and even says that she "knows her place" out loud, to another character about serving the emperor. It's disgusting and weirdly submissive. There's a lot wrong with this movie, but that part truly upset me.
It's also a great moment because it introduces doubts about what he said in the previous scene when comforting her over failing at the matchmaker's. Mulan (and the audience) are left wondering if that's really how he felt all along. That's why the scene at the end where she's showing the medal & sword to prove to him she found a place to belong that could bring the family honor was so important. His throwing everything aside to hug her proved he really had meant the comforting things he said and everything else was just said in a moment of anger, rather than being his true feelings. Whereas the dad in the live action never said anything except the stuff about hiding who she was and needing to know her place.
@@sage_in_palmmall5301 using the Chinese government as a scapegoat when no one working on the movie know anything about Chinese culture sounds like an excuse.
@@sage_in_palmmall5301 if the Chinese government tampered with the script, they would have already told Disney about the misconceptions in their writing about Chinese culture. The Chinese government today are very aggressive in promoting and preserving Chinese culture. They too wanted the film to be successful in China. The poor understanding of the culture in the writing plus the fact that the film is not well received in China doesn’t seem to indicate that there is any writing changes by the CCP. Just like whatever said, it’s a good time now to lay the blame on everything to China. Especially from the American perspective.
To the end of my days, I never saw myself as strongly in a movie as when I first saw this movie. Not just as an Asian-American female, but as someone who has grown up a bit too tomboyish, nerdy, awkward, and clumsy and constantly feeling like I'm never going to meet expectations. Nevertheless everything else that has made me feel like the odd one out. The closure she gets with her father and family at the end... gave me so much hope.
Not exactly like your story but mine is similar in the fact that if I lean twords my masculine side more often I get ostracized for it and just being myself in general I can never meet up to my family's expectations and they always get disappointed. If I express myself and my interests I get judged for it. The fact that I like weird and unconventional things is what drives my parents off. And just how I wanna live my life. I don't plan on getting married or having kids and I have opinions on things that contrast from theirs. And it causes conflict. Being myself always ends up in disappointment and outrage. I always have to live up to everyone else's standards or else I'm not good enough.
same, I'm an above-average-height girl who always had more of a love for what my teacher's called 'typically male' things; apparently liking to read and being tall meant I was acting more masculine, so having a character on screen who clearly wasn't perfect really helped with m own confidence.
I was about to write a nearly identical comment. Asian-American female, the rest of your description. and more. Except the closure she gets with her father -- I remember feeling so wistful and sad and envious, because at the time (college) I absolutely did not feel that I would get that level of deep acceptance from either of my parents. So I live far away where I can set my own rules for how I want to be.
dude, I understand what you mean. I watched mulan as a tiny girl who loved soccer, who always cut her hair short like mulans for the practicality in sports. I never got along with the girls that just wanted to look pretty, but was always told to "act like a lady." when I watched the movie for the first time, I felt so satisfied seeing someone just like me. I have the save features, same buddhist shrine, everything. The sad part is, a few years after being happy with who I was because of watching mulan everyday for years, my dad straight up told me after I came home from the principal's office for fighting (defending my cousin from bullying) I thought he was going to be proud that I used the advice he always told me in fighting. what I got instead was "did I have a daughter, or a son?" with the most sad, disappointed face. I always watch mulan to imagine the memories I would've had if he accepted me for who I was happy being.
Interestingly, the original message from Mulan for thousand years ago, is that we love our parents and family above all, even Mulan gained success after the war, she only asked for going back to the hometown and family reunion as a prize. That is one of the Chinese traditions - never forget your roots.
I heard the live action was going to be “more accurate” in particular to the poem, or so I heard, but I read a translation of the poem and the original movie only takes out any siblings and makes her gender reveal before the end of the war instead of after. and because the poem is short, a bunch of details have to be put in to make a full length movie. not only that, I’ve watched analysis videos saying that the movie isn’t even culturally accurate, so it fails to improve in that way either. it lacks heart and accuracy :/
@@pheonixrises11 wow glad you know about the poem, it was written in ancient Chinese, very short, and Mulan story is kinda like myth, passing on by every generations in China, well known by Chinese , encouraging people to learn the importance of family reunion, the love of parents, and inspiration of women’s power, And yes, the film is for entertainment, not good enough for historical reference.
No, it used to be your tradition is what you mean; now, in China, family values have been replaced with dictator-communist values, where the state has so much of a stranglehold over the basic family unit that it can decide how many children each family has, and how many children each couple is allowed to have; the way of the ancients of China have been discarded in favor of leftist anti-family degeneracy, that manages to be controlling and tyrannical and degenerate at the same time; but China is very efficient and organized economically and politically and socially and from a military perspective; too bad it comes at the cost of individual sovereignty; and too bad things like Daoism had to be sidestepped just so you could have this “perfect” “efficient” “utopia”; half-utopia is what they mean.
@@aquilo1714 This is a thousand-year-old tradition from Confucius, which is a good manner for children to love and respect the old and love the young, and it is independent of political matters. This world will be a much better world if everyone, who has strong judgments against other countries, could step outside their own countries and see with their own eyes, rather than knowing the world by all those selective 'truths' from western media. BTW, history is an ongoing story, if you learn a small part of Chinese history around 100 years ago, and to think you know the whole 5000-year story about China, which is still changing rapidly, growing mindset and critical thinking might help you to drop your prejudice and see this world with less 'opinions'. Just some questions to help you see things better: 1. why the West care about anything about Tibet and Xinjiang so much, while human rights problems are worldwide matter. 2. Back in 2019 December, while UK BBC was broadcasting China didn't take the ‘Whistle-blowing’ doctor seriously, interestingly, while the virus came to the UK two months later, the same media encouraged people not to wear masks and the virus was just the normal flu? (double standard? or what is the truth? it is up to the western media and gov?)
Something about the original movie that I love that I feel like was overlooked here is not only how Milan use femininity to win, but also the men use aspects of femininity as well. There are good parts of both masculinity and femininity and a truly balanced person has both.
Let's not forget Mushu, who decpit being funny, was also Mulans companion. When Mulan enturend the military, she didn't know if she could do it, or how to act. Mushu was there to help her, encourage her. He is an important character to the story.
I support removing him from the live action, since it seems they were at least hoping to give the new movie its own identity, as opposed to letting it feel like a shot for shot remake. It's a shame the rest of the movie just ended up being bad.
In the new movie they essentially turned her into what a man was expected to be. I wish they realised that giving a women male characteristics and calling that strength is inherently sexist 🙃
Saw an amazing quote years ago that still sticks with me, though I forget the exact wording: "We don't need to convince men that women are strong. They've always been strong. We need to expand our definition of 'strength.'"
Yes indeed! nothing I dislike more than when someone tries to make a strong woman character and feel the need to strip away any kind of femininity, suggesting that femininity and being strong is inherently the opposite.
"It's almost as bad as losing 130 billion dollars." Here's something you might enjoy learning (if you hadn't already). The budget we see for movies almost never factor in how much the marketing for said movie cost. So they lost even MORE then 130 million. Not to mention since they spilled the beans about filming near actual concentration camps, the movie was barely talked about in China at all in order to cover up that fact. They actually thanked China for allowing them to film there.
What I don't get is why people are attaching such an enormous importance to specific places when their "history" isn't shown in the work that's shown. No one would normally know that they filmed near actual concentration camps unless explicitly told so. Other than that, yeah the remake movie was a disaster compared to the original movie, but as a stand alone, it was just a movie, nothing amazing, nothing extremely bad, just a movie that will easily be forgotten.
@@MrHuntingClaw it's not that they filmed near a historical site of a concentration camp...it's that they filmed near a currently working concentration camp, that is currently inhabited by people being actively abused.
@@marieroberts5458 historic or not, imagine if it wouldn't had been a movie, what if it would had been a food stand, or a restaurant, a village or a settlement nearby? Simply by having it nearby, would you automatically think they are promoting the concentration camp? Filming near a concentration camp doesn't mean they are promoting the camp, they liked the scenery, not the horrible acts that have or are taking place there, you my fellow human are judging a work of fiction by act of association. It's like pointing fingers at someone who knows someone that's in prison or whatever. I don't like senseless shaming, yes, it's horrible what they do there, should it affect the movie? No. If you would take a single picture in that area, it's like saying, it's a horrible picture, even if the picture in question could be beautiful. There exist plenty of beautiful pictures with horrible surroundings outside the picture frame, but do you fault them all? Most likely not. If people want to do something about the concentration camp in question, skipping a movie ain't it, that's some hollow sympathy which doesn't change anything. Personally, I think the movie felt too forced with gender agendas, but that's a different matter.
@@MrHuntingClaw i agree that merely being in the vicinity of a place does not necessarily promote or endorse what happens in the locality beyond the control of the creators. BUT in this case, i can see that people might take offense when a major American conglomerate like Disney not only films in China near a place where human rights abuses are taking place, when they could film in a dozen beautiful places that could give your film that evocative feel, but they wind up thanking the Chinese government and catering to their agenda, whether or not that was fully the intent. As an aside, i am not judging the fiction by association, in fact i was not sure that i completely agree with the stance, but i do see their point and reasoning. Personally, i understand why the filmmakers were just looking for a great location and may not have been aware of the political implications or situation, but the thanks to the host nation were a little much. As to judging the film itself, i have not seen it, because i refused to spend the extra $30 on top of my subscription just to yell "first". I still have not yet seen it, as I'm not sure that I'm interested in seeing a remake of a beloved classic that didn't need a retelling. Still, i may still watch it one day to make up my own mind, but i wasn't impressed by the trailers at all.
@@marieroberts5458 honestly, it's not even worth thinking of the classic and the new movie as the same story, they are that different. If you ever wanna spend money to see it, it's better to just get the disney+ subscription fee for one month and watch other stuff instead. The movie is just "alright" not good, not horrible, better to think of it as a different story. As for the thanks to the government, it was likely due to being granted access to the spot, if they had to pay them some exorbitant fee for it, I don't know. People like to put agendas after the matter of the fact.
I feel like you dont even have to be bisexual or trans to feel about this performance of masculinity. As a less traditionally male guy, i was struggling the same when i was thrown in high school in a group of hyper masculine guys, where longer hair, paying attention at school or not being loud disqualified you from being percieved as male. So even from this perspective its easy to feel the connection to mulan in the camp and her struggling with the camp. At least to me it(the animated movie) was a really helpful in confirming is is ok to be the way you are.
Everybody, male, female or anywhere in the rainbow can relate. Either in the intro song, or the man montage... it's all equally ridiculous gender-norm BS.
Ah yes long hair, the mark of a real sissy boys like Slash, Conan the Barbarian, Jeff Bridges, and friggin' Samson from the Bible. Sounds like you went to school with a bunch of dullards with zero imagination.
Agreed, I am very much just part of the normative masculine male group. But I enjoy being clever. And that alone somehow is enough to be alienating in many anti-intellectual circles of highschool. And while I enjoyed this movie long before entering those grades, I resonated with it during that time period all the same.
@Dan oz I mean, most western countries have had issues with long hair on men forever. Changing these days but years back? Most everywhere that speaks English is the answer
it is clear they pandered to the Chinese authoritarian government hard hoping they can get in the market, sucks for them. got shadowbanned anyway. all this human rights disregard, filming in uighur land only to lose 130million. what losers.
It's funny how Mulan chose to let her hair down when she was about to fight a lot of people, knowing FULL WELL that her hair will get in the way considering she likes to do flips and fly around.
One of the complaints about the first film in regards to cultural accuracy was that ancient chinese men and women kept long hair so cutting her hair was not right. Yet in the 2020 film she lets her hair loose as part of her reveal but it shouldn't really make her more feminine. :S
@@doanale3344 true but the complaint about the first film isn't really justified since it has been proven that hair growth does have a stopping point and Mulan's hair length at that time was still pretty long (around shoulder length).
I laughed so hard when I saw that I was like Girl you goin in a fight with practically no armour and flying hair 😂😂😂 It’s funny how it’s advertise back then here in China, but we hated it so much, the movie was practically gone from theatres in a week or so 😂
All of the Disney live action "remakes" feel so sterile and souless, as always, capitalism takes art and turns it into a product made with the sole purpose of being consumed, it says nothing and does nothing. These movies are about as much of a work of art as a BigMac
Capitalism is ALSO what made the original Mulan so that really doesn’t make any sense. Recognize actual problems instead of slapping “capitalism is bad” onto everything
@@zedudedaniel it was also made because of capitalism, people have to feed their families, they still created an item that they thought the public would enjoy.
the moment you said you identified with mulan walking into and having trouble understanding a "man-space" i was like... oh. it just fits perfectly that in 98 when i went to watch the movie in theaters, none of my male friends wanted to come along, because "iTs A mOViE aBoUT a GirL!" while i was just looking forward to an awesome new disney movie. that moment of mulan walking into the camp and being shocked and disgusted was pretty much what happened when i walked into the barracks for my military service. i was not as surprised as mulan but i was just as overwhelmed and unequipped to fit in whith 100s of dudes being dudes, feeling they can finally "be themselves" since there arent any women around. which just ment full on rampant toxicity...
Weirdly enought, in my experience, boys are worse than men in that aspect. Elementary school often felt like a constant competition to me, where guys are always trying to humiliate others to make themselves better. I was extremely shy and awkward, so I was an easy target for bullying. I'd say that teenagers, especially older ones, finally start to realize that this way of living is just harmful to everyone.
17:18. I see myself as straight, although I am in the asexual spectrum. What resonated with my young self about the old animation was that Shang never liked her because she was pretty, dainty, or anything physical. In fact, I don't think he ever expressed he "liked" her. More like he grew to respect her as a person and that feeling just deepened after he learned more about her. As a young child and teenager, I was a fish out of water like Mulan. I couldn't fit into the stereotype of pretty girls but I know I wasn't boyish or the type to be "one of the boys". Mulan was my princess because she pursued what she wanted (or had to) regardless of her gender. I guess this movie was a building block of my idea of romance in that love is not really physical, it's more about respect, appreciation, etc.
WARNING: another asexual writes an entire essay on how they've gone through something similar with blatantly LGBT+ Disney characters, this time Kiara and Kovu from The Lion King 2. That's slightly less impactful because I haven't exactly had a childhood of resonating with it, BUT I ABSOLUTELY LOVE KIARA, because she's theorized by multiple fans including myself to be ace, she's so fun and playful, but she still knows what to take seriously, she's so wise and honorable, and she COMPLETELY OBLITERATES the stereotypes of us being emotionless, robotic, or heartless. I don't care much for Kovu, but I absolutely love that him not wanting to follow Zira's plan and being extremely hesitant to tell Kiara's family about that part of himself is SO OBVIOUSLY a deliberate metaphor for how so many LGBT+ people, myself included, can't follow what "nOrMaL" society wants of us and, although I never experienced this last part, many of us stay closeted for fear of discrimination upon coming out, including fear of being abandoned by those we care about. Additionally, they show no sexual attraction towards each other whatsoever UNTIL they've already gained a bond, and even then, literally ALL IT IS is that Kovu borderline tw3rks whilst saying "...and start a pride, all on our own!". At first, they didn't even remotely want to be with each other, but Kovu stalling to kill Simba and Rafiki showing Kiara and Kovu upendi made them realize their feelings for each other, and it couldn't be more obvious that their relationship was not only what I've wanted to see in every romantic relationship since I discovered Alphys and Undyne from Undertale in April 2022, but is exactly what you've described above: "...love is not really physical, it's more about respect, appreciation, etc." Strangely, this is the 2nd essay in the form of a RU-vid comment I've written today about my asexuality on a video that has nothing to do with it.
"If Mulan and her father argue, and then she leaves, we want her to survive, so that she can give her dad a hug. If they reconcile, we only worry about her surviving." For fuck's sake even Ice Age 4 handled this plot point better.
I just wonder how long it will take them to realize that remaking animation classics is not the way to go? As someone who grew up with their movies, particularly from The Lion King onwards, I have no intention of ever showing these technologically advanced but soulless movies to my eventual children. The animations though? Oh, yeah. Abso-fucking-lutely. And when they're a little older and have seen them all already, I'll introduce them to Shrek. Those are the movies that stay with us and are carried down generations. Snow White, Cinderella, Pinocchio, those are all older than my parents, and I actually ruined at least of those VHS tapes by watching it too many times. I would buy blu-rays of them all again, damn, I'd pay for a ticket to watch a remastered version of some. These remakes? They are trying to profit from our nostalgia, without realizing that the best way to do that was to stick to animation and take us back to that time in our lives when we believed in magic and the good guys always won.
I work in animation. I remember one evening at the bar a couple of years ago where with three colleagues and our director, we were discussing what we considered the best animated movies. A tough question, but I had an answer and as they threw the classic Toy Story and The Lion King response (with a nod to Beauty and The Beast), I answered Mulan. There was a long pause, a silence that I found extremely awkward as they all seem surprised and instead of asking me why, they said "interesting" and resumed the discussion, while I left the table because I felt that didn't really care for my answer and it was my cue to go home. I didn't think there could be a wrong answer, I was hoping we could discuss it, because I have nothing against The Lion King, Toy Story (even though it's one of my least favourite animated movie) or Beauty and The Beast, that I think all have their stepping stone in Animation (compelling stories and technical evolution), but Mulan was such an important movie as well. From the way it is written, the editing, to the relatable characters, to iconic songs, the gorgeous animation and yes, yes, yes culturally it missed a lot of things, but it didn't matter, because the movie spoke to the audience no matter what. This movie mattered to me, because I was that kid, moving around with their parents, I was that fish out of water and even today I still feel like that fish which is probably why it still resonates with me today. So it makes me happy that despite all the flaws of Mulan 2020 that people are discussing Mulan the animated movie, because I think it deserves to be acknowledged, be part of the discussion and not laughed at in the bar, especially by people who work in animation. (Though I encounter similar reaction when I talk about other underrated movies, I guess I don't enjoy animation the same why my peers in the industry does xD)
As an animator, there's a Disney animator that worked on Mulan, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King that has as RU-vid channel that you may be interested in; Aaron Blaise ( @theartofaaronblaise ). He's retired from Disney, but is now teaching animation privately. He has great stories about working on the movies as well as showing some of the animation process. You may enjoy his work!
That's one major thing that a lot of media tends to promote: that being "special" gives you advantages over other people because you have something unique and different from most others. It's basically being a "chosen one" that allows them to do things that other characters cannot because of certain qualities they possess
Literally. The original one showed that you can do anything if you work hard enough, and everyone has strengths, meanwhile the new one's like you have to be born with it💀
@@outofsyncaddiction even from a basic understanding of military tactics it was dumb, they call the left FLANK to charge... Like they must not know what a FLANK is.... And when they left the fortress to fight a larger force that had the high ground.... The general was just stupid lol
Also I love original Mulan’s father. I love how he’s not only caring and understanding toward his daughter but also has his own flaws, that scene where he says “it is time you learn yours” was so good
I never noticed that bowing down comparison before. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go walk into the ocean. (p.s. I related to that bi viewing of the film SO HARD, man)
A lot of people are almost certain the Chinese government had some say on how the film was written. I honestly just think Disney is bad at remakes but that once scene kinda makes me think again. Why find the best between two worlds when you can accept the current administration, BLEH.
@@Petrico94 the film went through 5 different public relations departments in china (they're in the credits), I think it might be safe to say they rewrote every scene they disagreed with.
To me, as a young girl watching Mulan, the message of having persistance and force of will was so important. It was so cool to see a character that endured and percevered by her own. No prince saved her, no one done things for her, she chose her path and did it. That story was telling us we could be or do anything if we worked hard for it, we were the masters of out destiny. The new one has such a horrifying message: you either are a chosen one or you need to conform. There is no wiggle room. Some people are blessed, most are not, know your place. How could anyone think this is in any way inspiring? A good lesson for children? A emotional plot for adults? They turned such a gorgeous story into a almost dystopian tale of fate and conformity. F*** your dreams, kids, society needs you to do your job, or else.
One of the defences I've heard for the live action Mulan is that its not based off the 1998 film but rather the Ballad of Mulan from ancient China. Somehow I don't think the Ballad of Mulan mentioned anything about a shapeshifting crow lady
That defence doesn’t work. The 1998 version is much closer to the ballad than the remake: Mulan takes her father’s place, the emperor honours her, she declines a court position and asks to return to her family. Many people in China were upset how the 2020 version corrupted the ballad.
@@cbrewitt the animated 1998 much closer to the ballad? omg u even havent seen the ballad hahahahaha the differences its too far the live action way more closer to the ballad and even brought attention to the mulan 2009 remake : rise of a warrior . in the ballad they mentioned : the loom , she has a sister, two rabbits running side by side , and mulan isn't a clumsy girl who doesnt know how to fight , she already skilled even before she joined the army bcs her father trained her since she was little they have shown it into the movie , even they made mulan into chinese "WUXIA" genre the heck with 1998 animated : they even stole the true story and remake it so wrong even added mushu that direspectful, cricket and shang? omg and they potrayed mulan so weak lol while the true story she is strong woman, and after 12 years served as an army they just realized her as a woman... edit : the witch just replaced the hawk which is the companion of the villain in the 1998 animated. stop with that cheap drama complaining with it!!!!! , just said all u want is : "MUSHU" right?
@@oliverrumagit4101 Guess you forgot to mention in the ballad her sister is older than her, and she has a younger brother too? Also there was no mention of her being clumsy or otherwise in the original ballad, just that it opens with her at the loom, drawing attention to the fact that she actually starts off as a traditionally feminine woman. The 2020 is only "closer" to the ballad on the surface, but there was no magic chi shapeshifting bs and definitely no kowtowing to the status quo aka CCP propaganda. And you completely missed the fact that calling Mulan "weak" in the 1998 version just shows that you don't Get It at all. Fuck off with your hyper masculinity bs. Emotions are not weak. Intelligence is not weak. Femininity IS NOT WEAK. And speaking of the two rabbits line.... the whole point is that two rabbits running side by sided can't be distinguished re their genders, but Mulan just casually gendered two running rabbits? That's completely taking the line out of context and just shows that again, you don't get it at all. You just want your surface level fanservice and ignore the actual meaning of the ballad.
One additional point for me is the fact that in the cartoon movie, after she saves the world and gets offered everything, she chooses to go back home. At first I was outraged because I thought that everything was for nothing, but then I realised that it was her choice, not society’s and not her family’s it was hers and that makes it so beautiful
Makes perfect sense, too, looking back on it. She wasn't out for herself, or to prove any great point, really. She just wanted to save her dad. Save dad = save Chinda = go home = feed chickens. I never saw any of the animated sequels or live action remake so I can't speak to continuing themes or ideas.
Ironically this was THE story that defined what being a man means to me. Being true to yourself, not conforming to some bullshit made up gender norms and focusing more on the stuff thats true and important. Proving yourself instead of just acting the part. When i was a little boy that was the most empowering story and maybe it was precisely because mulan was the one to become the manliest of them all. I mean jesus christ next to her all those other guys looked like bitches despite her being still an absolutely feminine woman. And the thing that sold it all to me was the part where her friends dressed up in those dresses with out skipping a beat. They learned from her and understood that nothing is manlier than a job done right. Being a true man requires learning what a true woman is and being a true woman requires to learn what a true man is. The two sexes were never separate. They inform each other. They make each other whole. Not just through relationships but also within oneself.
This is my experience as well. I'm a pretty traditionally masculine guy in many ways, but the original Mulan showed me a powerful and healthy way to be that.
*"my disney movie"* I cannot agree more. Mulan speaks to me when I was a little girl and told me that I could do anything if I worked hard. The live-action movie threw all of what made the original so magnificent out the window.
Something this video made me realize about the original Mulan that I'd never thought about is how Mushu's 'training' of Mulan as a 'man' comes from his position as a servant of the other ancestors and their view of the great Dragon Spirit- big, tough, mean... Things the ancestors feel Mushu lacks. But Mushu AND Mulan find that there's more to relating to men that just grit- Comradery, cooperation, even kindness, respect. We see Mushu show more and more thoughtful encouragement and support to Mulan as the movie goes on, and THAT is what makes him great, not keeping to the ideals of the 'Great Dragon Spirit'. Eventually, Mulan gains the respect and admiration of her comrades, commander, her father, the emperor, and CHINA itself. Bravery can be as gentle as it is strong.
@@vivvy_0 the way I see it is that both Mulan and Mushu want to be "men" for various reasons. They start by trying to understand toxic masculinity. They then move to understanding healthy masculinity, and at the end (the cross dressing scenes) they realize that this healthy strength isn't tied to masculinity and is available to Mulan regardless of her gender.
Me: "I always loved the original Mulan, there's just something about it I really identify with." JW: *Discusses a bisexual reading of Mulan's struggles with masculine performance* Me, also a bisexual man: "OH HEY"
@B. Greene I've always had that 'masculine brain/feminine body' that you mentioned, which is why the term Non-Binary is something that resonated with me when I discovered it. It took me until I was a fully grown adult to discover that term, but I love that it brings the same energy as 70s/80s fuck-your-societal-norms punk culture. Mulan's struggle is one that is painfully relatable to a majority of people, it's easy to interpret toward our own lives. If nothing else, it's a fantastic connecting thread that almost acts as a Rosetta Stone, allowing us to explain our struggles with social roles in a way that others will understand.
DUDE SAME, but like as a bisexual women. It wasn't till going through puberty, and honeslty further into it did I realize why I loved her so much through that lens too.
Ugh I love that you mention Mulan's intelligence, rather than focusing on her bravery than a lot of people do. For me it's always been the thing I loved the most about her and the film (a lot of people labelled Belle the smart one because books but she never actually uses that in the plot) and I was super upset when I heard it was missing from the remake. I also really appreciated you analysing the differences between the entering the military camp scenes, and I'm glad the original Mulan helped you understand yourself. Also you're completely right it IS the best movie ever.
5:10 I don't even need sound, I remember this scene exactly because it was just so memorable. He reassures her that she might just be a late bloomer with all this but reassures that she'll blossom in time and gives her the flower. It's a crucial tender moment that shows how he loves her the way she is and knows she'll make him proud in her own, Mulan way.
I think "When will my reflection show who I am inside?" is such a flexible yet incredibly relatable line that it doesn't matter what the nuances of her exact struggles are. Nearly everyone (in their own way) can relate to that one line that sells the whole move.
Also, just to add, Mulan's (1998) cinematography and music were on point. It gives me chills everytime I watch the scene where the Huns come down the mountain. The way the camera does a wide shot when the Huns appear at the ridge and the music then shows intimidation. The charge they make down the mountain with the steady beat of the war drum gets me everytime. The most magnificent thing in the entire scene is when Mulan grabs the cannon and starts running. The camera then pans to her, but not her; rather, her perspective. That's right folks, we are Mulan (for just a moment). We see the camera bob up and down to imitate her running towards certain doom; seeing Shan Yu charge her. The camera then pans to a tracking shot, birds-eye view following the falcon down the mountain over the troops. It's insane to see the level of detail that went into this scene. I encourage people to watch it again. Also, the scene at the end is beautiful. Seeing the camera pan out to the bowing crowd as the music rises in pitch; spectacular!
I remember watching this movie with some close friends thinking, “I was rooting for you! We were all rooting for you! HOW DARE YOU!” Real talk, that shit hurt though... down the bone.
I’ve always identified with Mulan. Feeling uncomfortable in either gender stereotype because I don’t quite fit in either, having to try finding a way to live in this world that has no accommodations for me, fighting every day just to live the way I want. I don’t identify myself trans or non-binary, but I am still a woman who enjoys things that society has deemed masculine, while also enjoying things that are deemed as feminine. Mulan makes me feel like I can have a combination of both and just be me.
Amen to this! Especially towards gender identity. I too am just a she who enjoys "things for boys" and "things for girls" because in the end they both are things for everyone
I'm an absolute tomboy. Always have been. I never wear makeup or dress up nice. The first and only time my husband has seen me wear makeup was on our wedding day. At the same time I love being a mother, and my ability to conceive and carry offspring. I have a son and I love being his mother. I view my maternity as my only traditional feminine feature. Pregnancy and breastfeeding have been the only times I've felt "womanly"
I am a man and I feel the same way even though I don't partake in "things for girls" I am however sensitive and caring and soft... Also, I have long hair so much last time I cut it I donated it and I still had shoulder-length hair left.
I loved Mulan as a child because I understood her feeling like she didn't fit in due to my own disabilities. Honestly, to me, the original Mulan is about figuring out your own path and accepting yourself. Whether its a disability, gender identity, or sexuality, the original Mulan is all about acceptance of those things. Removing that from the remake is what makes it fail so hard.
People underestimate the weight of animation, characterization, and details to the point where the live-action is completely different from the source. Same scenic equivalents did poorly world-building gone wrong, and dehumanization of the character leads to a failure of not only films but stories as well.
Well, of course they’re going to dehumanize; the worthless braindead zombies called writers these days can only think in stereotypes; and then they pretend to be against stereotypes; it’s such a disgusting insidious two-faced lie; it’s less about writing about people, and more about creating stereotypes, and then forcing people to conform to those, and then shaming everyone who refuses; and this is done in the name of high virtues; the real reason, of course, is that this is done so as to reduce people into machines; to make them predictable, and homogenous, because whatever you can predict, you can control, and whatever is homogenous, you can predict.
The fan being used to disarm the villain gave me chills even when I watched it as a young Chinese American girl. It's easily one of my favorite Disney movies of all time. The live action left a lot to be desired, for the reasons you said. I adored animated Mulan's resourcefulness and oddly enough, she was more human.
I’m sorry for getting distracted but while you were going over the “action-reaction” concept, I couldn’t help but think “isn’t this also why The Rise of Skywalker doesn’t work?” There’s entirely too much happening all at once and it never gives us the chance to breathe.
I love the idea that Mulan felt as though she didn't belong in her expected role in her life, so she ventured somewhere she REALLY didn't belong and thrived against all odds through perseverance. This was my favorite "princess" movie as a child and I'm so grateful for it because I can see where I have followed this example in my life and come out on top.
As a bi-romantic person myself, I really enjoy that reading of Mulan. I remember when I was younger that Mulan always stuck with me in a way I couldn't really explain, looking back I think we felt the same way, I just didn't know how to explain it. But I think Mulan also works in this way for anyone whose ever felt out of place, whatever the reason for that may be.
I never considered how growing up bi could be awkward -- I was gay and for the longest time I could only see my own perspective. Thank you for sharing that story.
@@auldthymer I think there’s a sort of inherent awkwardness to any type of deviation from ‘ the norm’. I think some bi people might actually experience a unique form of awkwardness because they can never be straight, but some may never be presented bisexuality as an option, never being able to really claim any space as their own. At least that’s how I felt.
Rewatching the original Mulan movie knowing I'm going to be a dad to a daughter gives the movie a whole new meaning for me and a whole new distain for the remake
Check out the 2009 Chinese adaptation too! Not appropriate for young children because it is actually a war film (as most Chinese adaptations of Mulan are), but it's a very well loved take on the legend.
What is wonderful about the original is that all of the recruits are figuring out how to 'be a man' based on the expectations of the army. They are all struggling to define the gender role of being a man in the army. Its performative. It could be about parenthood and struggling how to discover how being a father is performed. And when Mulan figures out how to get the arrow, all of them are happy with her achievement and celebrate it. She hasn't cheated because she is a woman, she has just figured out a way to achieve the goal that is unique to her, as a person, not a gender.
I really feel you on the mulan/dad relationship thing. In the remake he just directly tells her to stop being herself, hide and conform. The original reassures her that she just hasn't bloomed yet, that she will and when she does she will be an amazing person... Literal night and day...
Oh yeah, I realize now that Mulan trying to act manly is the greatest thing ever. I think as a kid this actually turned me off the movie because it felt super-awkward for me which may have been (*drumroll*) because I was also terrible at conforming to gender roles and not only actively had no interest in acting manly, but also wouldn‘t have known how to do it; while simultaneously knowing that this was causing me significant grief and anxiety.
Many writers interpret the idea of 'girl power' too literally: You take a GIRL, you give her POWER, and have other characters say, "But GIRLS don't get POWER!" Patriarchy doesn't work like that; it's the lifelong social process of defining women by the men around them rather than by their own merits. No one has to tell Mulan that women aren't supposed to represent their families in war; her entire socialization from the cradle has taught her (and us!) that the greatest warriors are male. Few are the men who tell you to get back in the kitchen.......many are the men who will tell you that women "just can't" be Marines. That's why Mulan works. No need to create a newer, meaner patriarchy when the old one is alive and well.
I hate when they put new discrimination for women like they are portraying the fact it only existed in that particular world usually through how dramatic. Mulan did a great job and the best kind of feminism isn't creating problems but standing on equal ground to give the same chance as any other man. Like mulan went through the same training as everyother man because she was capable. The newer mulan had the draw back of acting like she could be as good as the men without superpowers...
@@Meeptome yes! The original is so much better at it in part because of its subtlety. We understand the world she lives in and her perceived role in it but it's not like they're constantly shouting at you that "girls just can't do this!" It feels much more genuine.
I call it performative feminism in my head. Where you set up over-the-top patriarchal villains... but still conform to all the little microsexisms (only SPECIAL women can be equal to men, women are strong by acting MASCULINE, because feminine = weak)
Yes, the father-daughter relationship in the original is so heart-moving. The scene where he consoles her by mentioning the late blossom makes me tear up nearly every time. Even reading the storybook to my kids. Also, how Mulan is the one trying to fit in, and her dad is totally ok with her just being herself. She discovers that later.
The animated Mulan was extremely special to me, because in those early days I never saw any good or positive type of asian representation in cartoons/movies and I felt completely blank for not fitting in with all the others who weren’t asian in my school. My dad was gung ho about me being feminine and leaving everything to men, and to not bring dishonor to my family like in the animated movie, but after seeing Mulan dress up like a man, used her brain to overcome male strength, and getting respected by men despite being female, I really wanted to be like her. She was my only idol that I could look up to in elementary school.
Mulan is the character I want to write, one of my two main reasons for writing at all. I want there to be women who can be in charge and looked up to of their feminine qualities. The end scene when Mulan is dressed simply as her, in a dress with her hair down, and the soldiers and even the general *follow her lead.* That is so profoundly important. Portraying feminine women as people worth following. People who can lead anybody, even the most traditionally masculine men, and be respected.
@@Lodatzor Pretty normal, he worked a lot, but we got a solid relationship that is not without flaws, but I love him, and he loves and supports me. Any questions?
@@ayyylmao101 you shouldn't mistake politeness for kindness. someone can "politely" pathologize a common social difficulty (not conforming to toxic standards of masculinity) by associating it with some presumed childhood trauma, but they're still perpetuating toxic social norms and othering people who don't agree with those norms.
my absolute exact thought. how sad this company is pandering to an authoritarian government, even filming in the land of the concentration camps only to be shadowbanned anyway and lose big time overall. dumb mouse
And despite all the changes it still did badly cause most Chinese people weren't clamoring for this bland retelling of a story they have various adaptations on. Not even the Chinese Gov't wanted it either so they basically grifted Disney, just wow lol.
Reminds me of the story of the failed assassination of the first Chinese emperor and the moral is that the state will overcome all problems to keep China united and I was like "oh"
Yeah, you know SO much about the CCP aren’t you? I guess your infos about it must be first handed right? No? You mean you get them from media like news and movies? The same news who told you all those garbage movies were good? Hmm... The fact is, one of CCP’s the greatest source of legitimacy comes from they led the Chinese “lowly grunt” overthrown the old Chinese feudal system, and even today their motto is still “the people are the ruling class of the nation.” Call it propaganda all you want, but don’t you think the CCP would LOOOVE to take advantage of a Disney movie to make their propaganda again? Don’t forget the original Mulan was one of the few US movies allowed screening in Mainland China, and that was 20 years ago. You may hate the CCP, basically any political party is hateable by definition. But the new Mulan sucks because the film monopolies are greedy and lazy, both the Chinese ones and the Western ones. They don’t care about your favourite childhood movie got ruined, they just want some quick money. Blame the right -ism: capitalism, not communism. The level of ignorance and laziness in your comment, is on par with the writers and directors of the new Mulan, and the biases and prejudices are maybe worse.
@@o3k4o3k business ethics completely out the window is the problem here. People try to make themselves feel better by protesting for a livable wage, then run out and purchase products made with (basically) slave labor. these companies will do whatever it takes to make the most money, regardless of who gets hurt in the process.
I cannot emphasize how good of a video essay this is. In the modern landscape of video essays people start to mostly focus on emotional and angry reactionary content on a film. The criticisms always say “it doesn’t make sense” or “it’s soulless garbage.” You made the actual effort to understand what went wrong, and help educate the hundreds of thousands viewers who clicked on this video.
Same! I much prefer to see a bad movie taken apart and analyzed piece-by-piece to showcase its pitfalls than just being shat on for a whole video. It points out _where, why, and how_ the movie fails and not just that it was bad.
Mulan was one of the first movies to truly resonate with me as a kid. I was obsessed with it! And as a bisexual woman.. a lot of that makes sense now. Thank you for sharing your perspective. I feel the same exact way, but did you realize it until now. It makes a lot more sense as to why it matters so much to me
As a man, I don't mind saying I've always had a great appreciation for the Disney Princesses. They've always been an inspiration to me. The animated Mulan was just fine as a character. She sacrifices everything in order to ensure that her father doesn't have to go to war by taking his place. I think that's pretty badass in itself. At the end of the movie, she has the entire nation of China bowing to her in respect. She achieved that by her bravery, perseverance, and resourcefulness. Not with "chi". Mulan didn't get to that point alone. The people she encountered helped make her better, and she did the same for them as well. Mulan gained China's respect despite being a woman. Not because she is one. From every review I've seen about the remake, it seems to miss the whole point that they're trying to make in the first place.
yes of course, and the mulan 1998 animated mulan shudnt be apper too, bcs disney stole the story and remake it so different than the ballad of mulan , omg so direspectful
Whoah, I didn't expect that tangent about bisexuality, but I'm so happy I heard that. I share so much of your experience and feelings. Thank you for talking about. Love is love
