Everything About the Controversies Mulan Has Garnered Since It Was Released

By
Shawn Ambrose
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“Hey, so when do you want to see Mulan?”

It seemed like such a simple, innocent question to ask your friend, not one that you expected to lead to his spontaneous combustion.

Speechless, your friend just responded with widened, incredulous eyes, as if you had just slaughtered an entire litter of puppies in front of him.

“How could you watch that show? Why aren’t you joining the boycott?”, he finally said.

If you’re reading this article, you’re probably as unaware as this little fictional character I dreamed up about the controversy surrounding Disney’s lastest movie Mulan.

The story brings to life the ancient Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, a female warrior who took her ageing father’s place in the army by disguising herself as a man.

It sounds like an inspiring story of female heroism, right? So, why is everyone up in arms about it?

Problem 1: Leading Actress Supports Police Crackdown in Hong Kong

It all started last year when Liu Yifei, the actress who plays Mulan, defended the Hong Kong police’s crackdown of pro-democracy protesters in a post on Weibo.

Image: YouTube, Weibo

Many viewed the comments of Liu, who is Chinese-born, as a defence of police brutality.

This is why the hashtag #BoycottMulan has been trending in recent weeks in Hong Kong, Thailand, and Taiwan.

The movie, which is only showing in some countries, including Singapore, hit theatres on 4 Sept.

Problem 2: Disney’s Relationship With China

The second issue critics have with the film is Disney’s relationship with China. Back when an animated version of Mulan was released in 1998, the movie was largely catered to Americans; Asian Americans in particular.

At the time, China wasn’t the superpower it is now, and the 1998 film ended up being a box office flop in the country.

But now that they’re drowning in dolla dolla bills, Disney sees China as essential to the expansion of its business, according to The Washington Post.

In fact, the promise of Chinese viewership and in turn dolla dolla bills, has had an effect on casting.

A recent academic study found an increase in “very light-skinned” lead actors since 2012. Researchers believe the change was to cater to a Chinese culture that has an aesthetic preference for light skin, something known as colourism.

But the colour of the actors’ skins wasn’t what provoked such a backlash.

Those who watched the movie in the last few days noticed that the closing credits included a “special thanks” to eight government entities in Xinjiang for letting the company film there.

This included the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda department in Xinjiang, reported CNA.

Why is this a problem?

Well, this is the area where members of China’s Muslim minority are being detained as part of an “anti-extremism” campaign.

Image: New York Times

The Chinese government claims that the mass detention of an estimated 1 million Uighurs and other Turkic Muslim minorities is a response to a series of Uighur attacks on civilians in 2013, but not many people are buying it; they believe it’s ethnic cleansing instead.

Even though they are labelled as “education” camps that Uighurs attend voluntarily, visitors noticed that the buildings had windows with bars and doors that only lock from the outside, reported Bloomberg.

The Washington Post reported that several detainees have claimed they were tortured and abused by the authorities there.

Uighur women have also reportedly undergone forced sterilisation.

Critics of Mulan argue that the film could have been shot somewhere else, and also noted that the crew may have driven past these detention centres during filming.

As American senator Tom Cotton put it: “(Disney is) addicted to Chinese cash and will do just about anything to please the Communist Party.”

Problem 3: A Poor Repackaging of a Rich Legend

As previously mentioned, Mulan is based on an ancient Chinese legend of a woman who joins the army in her father’s place by disguising herself as a man.

The character of Hua Mulan was first written about between 386–535 CE, in a folk song called The Ballad of Mulan.

Whether or not Mulan actually existed is unclear, but she has served as an inspirational figure to women over the years nonetheless.

As Jeannette Ng from Foreign Policy points out, instead of making a film that pays homage to the legendary tale, the movie paints a picture of Chinese culture based on stereotypes and cliches, such as filial piety.

The takeaway from the film – that being loyal to the Kingdom and fighting for the emperor will wash away all your past blemishes – also seems to be an endorsement of the Chinese regime and the support for it.

Who knew a Disney film could spark such outrage?

Well, it’s 2020, my dear reader, and nothing should surprise you by now.

Representatives for Disney did not respond to Bloomberg’s requests for comment, but it did say, however, that it is “very pleased” with the initial results of its release in theatres and on the Disney+ streaming platform.

So, are you going to watch the film?

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Shawn Ambrose
Email: [email protected]