When I hear the words Renaissance Era Disney, or even just nineties Disney movies my mind immediately thinks of two films, both of which was in my top three Disney Animated Classics, and are in my top ten animated films of all time. There is simply no containing the excitement I have whenever I watch these films, and I feel by far they exemplify everything that a Disney Animated Classic should be…and they were made one after another. So, first up is 1998’s Mulan.
The Hun army has successfully entered China despite the erection of the Great Wall, and the country is preparing to go to war with the ruthless invaders. Fa Mulan (Ming Na-Wen), the only child of Fa Zhou (Soon Tek-Oh), is preparing to be married off once she has been approved by the matchmaker. Unfortunately, Mulan does not contain the qualities of a ‘good wife’ and brings dishonour to her family.
When the Chinese Army require one male from every family to join the war effort, the elderly and injured Fa Zhou is the only person in the Fa family eligible. Sensing an opportunity to restore honour to her family name, and spare her father from an inevitable death, Mulan disguises herself as a man and infiltrates the army; undergoing ruthless training to face the Hun’s.
Mulan is a classic story of the underdog rising to the top through sheer grit and determination. The everyman who conquers every obstacle in their way, not because they’re special, but because they apply themselves in the best way possible and achieve the seemingly impossible. This is always a winning formula to a story because everyone can relate to it, and it’s made greater in Mulan because of the simple factor that Mulan is female. She has even more obstacles in her way to overcome because she is a woman living in a world completely dominated by male power structures. It’s an inspiring message to anyone who comes from a background where they have additional hurdles to climb, such as those from poorer backgrounds, people who aren’t white, and of course, women.
Whilst the actual plot of the film may be relatively basic, with Mulan leaving home, training, then engaging in combat before saving all of China, it’s how well it meshes with every other component of the film to produce something that, at least in my eyes, is near flawless.
The Hun army has successfully entered China despite the erection of the Great Wall, and the country is preparing to go to war with the ruthless invaders. Fa Mulan (Ming Na-Wen), the only child of Fa Zhou (Soon Tek-Oh), is preparing to be married off once she has been approved by the matchmaker. Unfortunately, Mulan does not contain the qualities of a ‘good wife’ and brings dishonour to her family.
When the Chinese Army require one male from every family to join the war effort, the elderly and injured Fa Zhou is the only person in the Fa family eligible. Sensing an opportunity to restore honour to her family name, and spare her father from an inevitable death, Mulan disguises herself as a man and infiltrates the army; undergoing ruthless training to face the Hun’s.
Mulan is a classic story of the underdog rising to the top through sheer grit and determination. The everyman who conquers every obstacle in their way, not because they’re special, but because they apply themselves in the best way possible and achieve the seemingly impossible. This is always a winning formula to a story because everyone can relate to it, and it’s made greater in Mulan because of the simple factor that Mulan is female. She has even more obstacles in her way to overcome because she is a woman living in a world completely dominated by male power structures. It’s an inspiring message to anyone who comes from a background where they have additional hurdles to climb, such as those from poorer backgrounds, people who aren’t white, and of course, women.
Whilst the actual plot of the film may be relatively basic, with Mulan leaving home, training, then engaging in combat before saving all of China, it’s how well it meshes with every other component of the film to produce something that, at least in my eyes, is near flawless.
The characters in Mulan are excellent. Our titular heroine is given plenty of time in the opening of the film to convey her wants and fears in the uncertain world she is living in. She is viewed as a woman unworthy of a husband, so takes the initiative to be the best woman she can possibly be…by being a man (or at least pretending to be). She not only has to face her fears with the battle against the Hun’s drawing ever closer but must also combat misogynistic beliefs and ideals from her fellow soldiers. Despite being a better man than any of those present in the film, she never loses her femininity or sacrifices her ideals, and that’s a crucial element to what makes Mulan such an incredible character and role model for women.
Li Shang (BD Wong) acts as a perfect opposition to Mulan throughout the film, without being an antagonistic presence. He is the ideal all men strive to be, yet he is viewed as incompetent and incapable by his superiors. He is regularly shown to fail by simply relying on brute force and ‘manning up’, and only succeeds when he accepts help from those around him. He goes on a similar journey to Mulan, discovering that being a man isn’t what he was told was expected of him, and that ensuring success and strength is earned through respect and teamwork.
The supporting soldiers, Ling (Gedde Watanabe), Yao (Harvey Fierstein), and Chien-Po (Jerry Tondo) are all great examples of men driven by the misogynistic desires, and incorrect assumptions about what being a man is. They all, in their own way, learn the same lessons that Li Shang does, as well as learn to respect women more for their intelligence and resourcefulness.
Finally, of course, I can’t move on from the characters without talking about Mushu (Eddie Murphy). Mushu goes through a similar character arc to Mulan, but rather than doing it for selfless reasons like her, his are entirely self-serving. His arc, in tandem with Mulan’s, paint an excellent arc that sends an incredible message out to younger viewers of what is capable if you be yourself and do the best you can possibly do…not bad for a comic relief character (and one of Disney’s greatest at that).
Li Shang (BD Wong) acts as a perfect opposition to Mulan throughout the film, without being an antagonistic presence. He is the ideal all men strive to be, yet he is viewed as incompetent and incapable by his superiors. He is regularly shown to fail by simply relying on brute force and ‘manning up’, and only succeeds when he accepts help from those around him. He goes on a similar journey to Mulan, discovering that being a man isn’t what he was told was expected of him, and that ensuring success and strength is earned through respect and teamwork.
The supporting soldiers, Ling (Gedde Watanabe), Yao (Harvey Fierstein), and Chien-Po (Jerry Tondo) are all great examples of men driven by the misogynistic desires, and incorrect assumptions about what being a man is. They all, in their own way, learn the same lessons that Li Shang does, as well as learn to respect women more for their intelligence and resourcefulness.
Finally, of course, I can’t move on from the characters without talking about Mushu (Eddie Murphy). Mushu goes through a similar character arc to Mulan, but rather than doing it for selfless reasons like her, his are entirely self-serving. His arc, in tandem with Mulan’s, paint an excellent arc that sends an incredible message out to younger viewers of what is capable if you be yourself and do the best you can possibly do…not bad for a comic relief character (and one of Disney’s greatest at that).
The art direction in Mulan is stunning. Much like Hercules before it, Mulan is heavily influenced by its source material in ancient Chinese legends. The whole film looks like it could be an East Asian watercolour painting, with delicate lines, sharp edges, and vivid natural colours. I feel like I could pause Mulan at almost any frame and it be a gorgeous work of art, whilst not quite as stunning as Pocahontas’ environments, Mulan is truly gorgeous to look at.
Combine this with what I would consider Disney’s second-best soundtrack, packed with hit after hit of musical numbers. I don’t think I could pick my favourite because they’re all so fantastic. I regularly listen to the Mulan soundtrack and sing along to the songs because they’re just so powerful, catchy, and inspiring.
For me, Mulan is one of the closest examples Disney has ever got to perfecting the animated film. It’s a very bold statement, but I simply cannot find any element in this film that I don’t adore with every fibre of my being. It’s not only one of the greatest Disney films ever, but it’s hands down one of the best animated films ever made. It is always one of the first Disney films I recommend people watch, even if they’ve seen it a million times, and that recommendation stands here too. Drop whatever you’re doing right now to watch Mulan, I promise you will not regret it.
Combine this with what I would consider Disney’s second-best soundtrack, packed with hit after hit of musical numbers. I don’t think I could pick my favourite because they’re all so fantastic. I regularly listen to the Mulan soundtrack and sing along to the songs because they’re just so powerful, catchy, and inspiring.
For me, Mulan is one of the closest examples Disney has ever got to perfecting the animated film. It’s a very bold statement, but I simply cannot find any element in this film that I don’t adore with every fibre of my being. It’s not only one of the greatest Disney films ever, but it’s hands down one of the best animated films ever made. It is always one of the first Disney films I recommend people watch, even if they’ve seen it a million times, and that recommendation stands here too. Drop whatever you’re doing right now to watch Mulan, I promise you will not regret it.