Please enable JavaScript.

Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.

Mulan (1998) Analysis - Coggle Diagram

- - - - The Northern Wei Dynasty was founded by the Tuoba clan of the Xianbei ethnic group, making it very likely that Mulan was also a member of this ethnic group
        
        Tran, Frances. “The Ballad of Mulan (Ode of Mulan).” Mulanballad, http://www.deceivingmemories.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/files/2011/08/mulanballad.pdf.
        
        The Xianbei were turkic and originated as a nomadic group with some mongolic roots.
        
        Mulan refers to the "Khan" calling up the troops, which is a word with a specifically mongolic background
        
        Also, the Northern Wei dynasty was largely Buddhist
        
        This means that the movie's portrayal of Mulan as a good Confucian Han Chinese girl fighting against the savage and inhuman Huns from the steppes incredibly inaccurate
  - - - This was written about at length by Joseph de Guignes, who originally proposed the idea in the 18th century, although it is still heavily debated
  - - - Mounted Warrior of the Northern Wei Dynasty. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Wei#/media/File:Cernuschi_Museum_20060812_128.jpg. Accessed 20 Nov. 2021.
    - - Robes worn in actual art pieces from the Northern Wei Dynasty show very loose-fitting, extremely drape-y robes with a fairly high v shaped neckline that has a collar/lapel that looks almost like a hood, shrinking into a very narrow lapel that crosses slightly in the front. Skirts seem narrow at the waist, but very full at the bottom (puddling outward into a train- maybe gored?), with a drape-y sash that almost looks like an apron, with long dagged edges
        
        Mounted Warrior of the Northern Wei Dynasty.
        
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Wei#/media/File:Cernuschi_Museum_20060812_128.jpg. Accessed 20 Nov. 2021.
        
        Virtuous women in Cathayan/Chinese history. 5AD, Datong Museum.
        
        Li Ch'ung (李充) and his wife before his mother, lacquer painting over wood, Northern Wei. 5AD, Datong Museum.
      - Han and Qin Dynasty sources show the wider lapels, larger cross over the front, belt, long, narrow skirt, and shorter over skirt that are featured in the film
        
        Todd, Gary. Mawangdui Han Tombs, Changsha, Hunan. 20 Aug. 2010, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mawangdui_Painted_Figurines_(10112640664).jpg. Accessed 21 Nov. 2021.
- - - - “WALT DISNEY PRESENTS ITS LATEST ANIMATED EXTRAVAGANZA ‘MULAN.’” USA: WALT DISNEY PRESENTS ITS LATEST ANIMATED EXTRAVAGANZA "MULAN", 30 May 1998, https://web.archive.org/web/20151004081139/http://www.itnsource.com/en/shotlist/RTV/1998/05/30/805300038/?v=1.
        
        Kuchera, Ben. “The Szechuan Sauce Fiasco Proves Rick and Morty Fans Don't Understand Rick and Morty.” Polygon, Polygon, 9 Oct. 2017, https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/9/16447460/rick-and-morty-szechuan-sauce-mcdonalds-fans-anger.
- - - - Use of Confucian themes (doing everything for family), stereotypical east asian musical themes (I'm not sure of the correct wording, but you'd know it if you heard it), armor based off of that of the Terracotta Army, opening shot is the Great Wall, a lot of visual motifs throughout that are reminiscent of traditional Chinese paintings
      - There were some characters that were drawn with simple lines for eyes, a common offensive caricature for east asian cultures (although these were only on screen briefly, they still were noticeable), and the main, most virtuous characters are depicted with more rounded eyes (a very western idea)
  - - - Literally every single stereotype of the Huns and the nomadic people of the steppes
        
        Portrayed as cruel, savage, bloodthirsty, dressed in rags (if that) with grey skin (to emphasize their inhumanity), and with the main symbols of their warfare being horses and a golden eagle (fighting on horseback was a major component of why the nomadic people of the steppes were able to become such a feared military force, i.e. the Mongols several centuries later, and eagle hunting was a huge part of Mongolian culture)
- - - - Mulan's father is drafted, despite being injured
        
        Mulan decides to pretend to be a young man, and goes off to war in her father's place
        
        Mulan, under the name of Fa Ping, joins the army and is trained as a soldier under Captain Li Shang (future love interest)
        
        The soldiers ride out and are ambushed by the Huns after discovering how many soldiers the Emperor had lost in previous battles with the Huns
        
        "Ping" saves the day, and the life of Captain Li, winning the respect and admiration of her comrades, but not before being wounded, thus revealing her as a woman and causing her companions to reject her
        
        After the army leaves, Mulan discovers that the Huns survived the battle, and that they are still heading towards the imperial city, and goes to warn people
        
        1 more item...