Mulan

Mulan is a 1998 animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, and released by Walt Disney Pictures on June 19, 1998. The thirty-sixth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon, the film is loosely based on various versions of the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan (Fa Mulan), and was the first of three produced primarily at the animation studio at Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida. It was directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook, with the story by Robert D. San Souci.

The most notable voice cast member of the film was Eddie Murphy, who provided the voice for the dragon Mushu. Other cast members included Ming-Na as Fa Mulan and B.D. Wong as Captain Li Shang.

The film out-grossed its predecessors, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Hercules in domestic income, taking over $120 million and over $304 million worldwide. It is among one of Disney's most popular and successful movies to date.

Plot

The Chinese legend of Hua Mulan centers on a young woman who disguises herself as a man to take the place of her elderly father in the army. The story can be traced back to The Ballad of Mulan. The earliest accounts of the legend state that she lived during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534). However another version reports that Mulan was requested as a concubine by Emperor Yang of Sui China (reigned 604–617). The film may take place even later, as it prominently features landmarks such as the Forbidden City which was not constructed until the 15th Century. On the other hand, at the time of Northern Wei, the Xiongnu (aka Huns) had been already absorbed into Chinese and other races and disappeared from the stage of history. However, according to the style of dress (traditional Han clothing), the film most definitely takes place sometime in the 15th century or before. The fireworks featured in the movie indicate that the movie is set during the Sui dynasty

Disney's Mulan casts the title character in much the same way as the original legend, a rough-around-the-edges daughter of a respected veteran, somewhat troubled by being the "sophisticated lady" her society expects after failing the match maker's training, dishonoring Mulan's family (partially due to "lucky cricket" Cri-kee's instromission). When the Huns, led by the ruthless Shan Yu, invade China, it is declared that one man from every family must serve in the Imperial army, and each family is given a conscription notice. Mulan's father has to serve in the army, but due to an old wound from a previous war he served in, he cannot walk properly. He is willing to serve in the army, but it is clear that he will not survive if he does. One night, after a brief confrontation and argument, Mulan realizes that someone must go to the army in her father's place if he is to live. She cuts her hair with her father's sword and ties it up in the warrior's bun-like style. She then takes his conscription notice, armor, and weapons; and thus rides away on her horse Khan to join the army to take her father's place in the war secretly.

At the same time, Mushu, an unusually small dragon who has been demoted to gong ringer for Mulan's ancestors, is asked to awaken the "Great Stone Dragon", a family guardian. The "Dragon" is to be sent to bring Mulan back home. However, Mushu accidentally destroys the "Great Stone Dragon" and panics, but then realizes that this could be an opportunity to earn his place among the guardians again if he can make Mulan a war hero. Mulan's newly received good luck charm, a cricket named Cri-Kee tags along with Mushu as well.

Although Mulan starts out physically weak in comparison to her fellow soldiers, she works hard and is soon even stronger than the rest and becomes a respected part of her group, which is led by Captain Li Shang. During this training portion of the movie, fellow soldiers are introduced including Ling, Yao and Chien Po.

The troops complete their training, but Chi Fu—the Emperor's meddling, woman-hating adviser—refuses to let them see battle, accusing them of being childish. However, Mushu and Cri-Kee forge a letter from the General, ordering Li Shang to take his men to the front lines. The troops set out to meet with General Li, Li Shang's father, whom has already left on a mission to protect the Imperial City from the Huns. However, Li Shang and his newly trained troops discover that the General and his men have been killed in the line of fire.

Captain Li Shang and his troops continue on over the Chinese landscape, disheartened by their loss when they are ambushed by Hun archers. The troops fire upon the Huns with numerous cannons. A calm comes over the land and Captain Li's troops believe they've won the battle but soon discover that they are significantly outnumbered when they see thousands of Huns, Shan Yu amongst them, surround the mountain ridge above them. Captain Li encourages his soldiers but they all realize that they are out manned and out armed. As they are setting up the last cannon to fire at the Huns, Mulan spots a precarious mound of snow on the upper mountain side. As the Huns charge down the mountain Mulan snags the cannon, runs with it, and (with Mushu's "help") fires the rocket at the snow mound. The collision of the rocket and the snow mound causes an avalanche which spreads over the charging Huns, burying them under the snow. Just after the rocket is launched, Shan Yu cuts her in the midsection as he is swept away by the avalanche. Captain Li's soldiers take refuge under a rock while Mulan rescues Captain Li from being swept away on his horse by the snow. When all of Captain's Li's troops are safe and it appears that the battle is won, Captain Li is expressing his gratitude to Mulan when Mulan grabs her stomach area and winces in pain. Medical help is summoned.

During treatment for her injuries, they discover that she is actually a woman. Captain Li is notified and is expected to execute Mulan for her impersonation but he spares her life and considers his pardon an exchange for Mulan saving his own. Instead Captain Li expels her from the army. Mulan decides to return home with her companions Cri-Kee and Mushu but as they move along through the mountain pass they hear Shan Yu's roars and look to see Shan Yu and several other Huns emerging from the snow that had blanketed them during the earlier battle. Mulan tries to warn Captain Li and his troops but they don't listen as they are heralded by citizens in a parade for their war efforts. Mulan also tries to warn the citizenry but they ignore her. Mushu informs her that it's because she's a woman. As the Emperor addresses the crowd, the Huns, disguised as parade characters, kidnap the Emperor. Captain Li and his troops attempt to follow the Huns and the Emperor into the Emperor's palace but they are locked out. Mulan devises a ploy with the cooperation of Chien Po, Ling and Yao to dress as women, scale the castle wall and more easily infiltrate the castle interior by pretending to be concubines. When the Huns lower their defenses in the presence of the "women", Mulan and her friends swiftly dispatch them all. During this attack the Emperor is safely removed from the palace by Chien Po, but Captain Li and Mulan are both trapped on the balcony with Shan Yu. Shan Yu is about kill Captain Li when Mulan gets his attention. The Hun recognizes her from the mountain battle and gives chase. Mulan lures Shan Yu onto the palace rooftop, where Mushu and Cri-kee propel a huge firecracker that hits Shun Yu and carries him off to his demise.

When the Emperor meets Mulan at the end of this battle, he tells her that he's heard of her (most likely from Chi Fu). At first the Emperor in an accusatory tone lists Mulan's sins: stealing her father's armor, running away from home, impersonating a soldier, dishonouring the Chinese Army, and destroying his palace but then he softens his tone and says, "...And you have saved us all." The Emperor then bows to Mulan and her fellow soldiers and in succession the people of China witnessing the incident follow suit. The Emperor then offers Mulan a position in his staff but Mulan politely refuses the offer and confesses that she wants to return home. During this time the Emperor praises Mulan in a conversation to Captain Li and implies that Mulan is a very admirable woman.

Upon her return, Mulan expects to be reprimanded but is instead embraced by her family. Soon after, Captain Li arrives telling Mulan she forgot her(father's) helmet in an obvious guise to speak with her. Meanwhile, the ancestors reluctantly agree to make Mushu a guardian once more.

Cast

Voice Roles

Crew

Production notes

To create 2000 Hun soldiers during the Huns' attack sequence, the production team developed a crowd simulation software called Attila. This software allows thousands of unique characters to move autonomously. A variant of the program called Dynasty was used in the final battle sequence to create a crowd of 3000 in the Forbidden City. Pixar's photorealistic RenderMan was used to render the crowd.

Another software developed for this movie was Faux Plane which was used to add depth to flat two-dimensional painting. Although developed late in production progress, Faux Plane was used in five shots, including the dramatic sequence which features the Great Wall of China, and the final battle sequence when Mulan runs to the Forbidden City.

Soundtrack listing

1. "Honor to Us All" — Beth Fowler, Marni Nixon, Lea Salonga
2. "Reflection" — Lea Salonga
3. "I'll Make a Man Out of You" — Donny Osmond
4. "A Girl Worth Fighting For" — Harvey Fierstein, James Hong, Lea Salonga, Jerry Tondo, Matthew Wilder
5. "True to Your Heart (Single)" — 98º, Stevie Wonder
6. "Suite from Mulan"
7. "Attack at the Wall (Score)"
8. "Mulan's Decision (Score)"
9. "Blossoms (Score)"
10. "The Huns (Score)"
11. "The Burned-Out Village (Score)"
12. "Reflection (Pop Version)" — Christina Aguilera

Trivia

• Mulan's full name in Chinese is (Traditional Chinese: 花木蘭; Simplified Chinese: 花木兰). Translated literally, it means flower of the Lily magnolia; a type of tree native to Sichuan province in south China. The trees in Mulan's garden strongly resembled the Lily Magnolia tree.
• In the Chinese version of the movie, martial artist Jackie Chan does both the voice and singing role of Captain Shang.
• The script used for most of the text in Mulan is Traditional Chinese, which is no longer used in daily life on Mainland China, although people are still able to read it.
• The traditional name for the leaders of the Central Asian Huns was Shanyu. The war between the Huns and China was real. It is called the Sino-Xiongnu War. Hua Mulan probably lived during the Northern Wei dynasty, which is when the last of the Central Asian Huns' states came to an end.
• Although she is not a princess, Mulan is often regarded as one of the Disney Princesses.
• The music featured during the haircut scene, often referred as the Mulan Decision score, is different in the soundtrack album. The soundtrack album uses an orchestrated score while the movie uses heavy synthesizer music. The synthesizer version is available on limited edition CD.^[1]
• In the film Lilo & Stitch, Nani has a poster of Mulan in her room.
• The movie is also featured as a playable world named "The Land of Dragons" in Kingdom Hearts II, with Mulan able to join the group as a skilled sword fighter. Prior to that, Mushu has made an appearance in the first Kingdom Hearts game and in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories as a summonable character.
• One of the movie's songs, the pop version of "Reflection" has 3 Spanish translations, because the movie has separate Spanish translations for Spain (performed by Malú) and Latin America (performed by Lucero). The third translation was done by Christina Aguilera.
• Although Mulan is set in north China, where the dominant language is Mandarin, the Disney film uses the Cantonese pronunciation, "Fa", of her family name. In Mandarin her name is pronounced "Hua".
• When Mulan sings "Reflection" in her father's shrine, her reflection appears in the polished surface of the temple stones. The writing on the temple stones is the names of the Disney animators who worked on the film written in ancient Chinese.
• In the scene where Mushu awakens the ancestors, one set of grandparents worry that Mulan's quest will ensure her family loses their farm. This couple appear to be the couple on the farm in Grant Wood's famous painting 'American Gothic.'
• Hidden Mickey: The spots on Shang's horse's neck and rump are shaped like a Mickey Mouse motif. There are also other hidden Mickeys in the film.
• Chi Fu's name literally means, in Chinese, "to pester or annoy".
• Mushu has a lot of lines that tie back to pop culture. For example, when Mushu and Cri-Kee fly over to the fireworks tower, Mushu scares the fireworks operators away by casting a Batman-like shadow and exclaiming "Citizens, I need firepower." "Who are you?" "Your worst nightmare".
• Mulan is one of only three Disney heroines (the others being Princess Aurora from "Sleeping Beauty" and Wendy from "Peter Pan") to have both parents alive and well through the entire movie.
• When Mulan masquerades as a man, her name is a pun in Chinese. Her first name is "Ping" (瓶), meaning pot and her Surname (Placed first using Chinese naming conventions) means Flower (花). Together they make "Flowerpot"; a Chinese term meaning an effeminate man.
• According to Orpheus in Mayfair and Other Stories and Sketches by Maurice Baring, "Ping" in Chinese means soldier-man, and if you wish to express your contempt for a man there is no word in the whole of the Chinese language which expresses it so fully and so emphatically as the word "Ping."
• In the original Mulan legend, Mulan uses her father's name Li and not the name "Ping".
• The movie's soundtrack can be credited for jump starting the career of pop princess Christina Aguilera, whose first song ever to be released in the U.S was 'Reflection', the 1st single off of the 'Mulan' soundtrack. Reception for the song, and Aguilera's vocals were so well received, that it landed her a recording contract with RCA records. In 1999, she would go on to release her self titled debut album, on which 'Reflection' was also included.
• Lea Salonga, the singing voice of Mulan in the movie, is also the singing voice of Princess Jasmine in Aladdin.
• In the television show Firefly, Shepherd Book mentions a Chinese warlord named Shan Yu who purportedly believed you could only truly know a man by torturing him.
• The British sitcom Spaced referenced 'Mulan' in the second episode of the second series. In the show characters are frequently hard-pressed to draw a line between fantasy and reality, and in this scene the character Daisy recalls Mulan as someone she has met 'when she was traveling' until another character reminds her it was 'a Disney film'. Daisy also sings a very badly-remembered line of 'Reflection'.
• Kelly Chen and Coco Lee voiced Mulan in the Cantonese and Mandarin dubs of the film respectively, while Jackie Chan voiced Shang in both dubs.
• Ling is a cutie.

See also

• Sino-Xiongnu War
• Mulan II, the direct-to-video sequel to the film
• Cross-dressing in film and television
• Kingdom Hearts II, in which Mulan is a playable world

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