Mulan [2009] (4½ Stars)

After watching the two Disney films about Mulan, I've turned my attention to a Chinese film about her, made in 2009. I assume that the film is historically more accurate than either of the Disney films. That wouldn't make the film better in itself. There were many Chinese actors in the 2009 Mulan film, including Jet Li, Donnie Yen and Gong Li, and I'm sure they pointed out the inaccuracies after reading the script, but the director stuck to the screenplay as written, and he made a good film.

The Chinese film shows Mulan as a girl who's practised martial arts since her childhood. Unlike the Disney films, we don't see any attempts made by her family to find her a husband. She takes her father's place when he's conscripted to fight against the Rouran tribes.

The main differences between this and the Disney films are:

1. The Rouran warriors aren't as invincible as in the Disney films; they're just good warriors.

2. There are no supernatural elements.

3. The Disney films seem to take place over a short period of time, but the Chinese film shows a war campaign that lasts 12 years.

4. The Chinese film shows Mulan steadily rising in rank during the war, replacing her superior officers when they're killed.

5. There's a lot more romance in the Chinese film, when Mulan falls in love with Wentai, the only man in the Chinese army who recognises that she's a woman.

6. We get to know the Ruoran leaders. There are conflicts within the ruling family, which makes them more interesting as villains.

But please tell me... how could Mulan possibly have spent 12 years surrounded by soldiers without being recognised as a woman? Were they stupid?

Be honest. If this person came up to you and claimed to be a man, would you believe him? I certainly wouldn't. The lips and the eyes give her away. It's difficult to describe it. I just look at that face and I know it's a woman. It's obvious.

The feminist messages aren't laid on as thick as they are in the Disney films. Maybe that's because it was made in China, where women still aren't treated equally. China's ruling Communist Party likes to think of Mulan as a Chinese hero, someone who would support their cause, but I doubt she would be a Communist if she lived today. She did what she did for her family and for China, not for a political cause. She probably wasn't even a feminist, she just didn't want being a woman to hold her back.

Success Rate:  - 6.7

	Order from Amazon.com
	Order from Amazon.co.uk
	Order from Amazon.de