Мулан сценарий фильма

Когда император Китая издаёт указ о том, все семьи должны отправить по одному человеку из своей семьи служить в армию, чтобы защитить страну от северных захватчиков, нападающих на Китай, Фа Мулан, старшая дочь заслуженного воина, вступает в армию вместо её больного отца. Она энергичная, решительная и быстрая. Маскируясь под мужчину, Фа Цзюнь, она проверяется на каждом шагу, должна использовать свою внутреннюю силу и использовать свой истинный потенциал.

Содержание/сюжет

В Императорском Китае Хуа Мулан — предприимчивая и активная девушка, к разочарованию своих родителей, которые надеются, что однажды она выйдет замуж за хорошего мужа. Мулан вынуждена встретиться со свахой, чтобы продемонстрировать свою пригодность в качестве будущей жены. Взволнованная Мулан пытается налить чай перед свахой, но паук вызывает панику, которая разрушает чайник, и сваха называет ее позором перед ее семьей.

На севере имперский форпост захвачен жужанскими воинами под предводительством Бери-хана. Им помогает ведьма Сяньнян, которая использует свою магию, чтобы изобразить выжившего солдата и сообщить о нападении императору Китая; Затем он издает указ о воинской повинности, по которому каждая семья должна предоставить по одному человеку для борьбы с войсками Хана.

Имперские солдаты прибывают в деревню Мулан, чтобы завербовать новобранцев, и ее пожилой отец Хуа Чжоу вынужден дать клятву своей службы, поскольку у него нет сыновей. Понимая, что у ее отца нет шансов выжить, Мулан убегает с доспехами, лошадью и мечом, чтобы присоединиться к войску. Мулан прибывает в тренировочный лагерь, которым управляет командир Тунг, старый товарищ Хуа Чжоу. Вместе с десятками других неопытных новобранцев она в конечном итоге становится обученным солдатом под его опекой, не раскрывая своей истинной личности.

Армия Хана продолжает наступление, вынуждая Тунга досрочно закончить обучение и отправить свой батальон в бой. Мулан сама преследует несколько солдат, но сталкивается с Сяньнян, которая издевается над ней за то, что она притворяется мужчиной. Она пытается убить Мулан, но ее атаки останавливает кожа, которой была перевязана грудь Мулан, чтобы скрыть ее личность. Мулан снимает свою мужскую маскировку и возвращается в битву. Когда руранцы начинают атаковать ее товарищей из требушета, Мулан использует брошенные шлемы и свои навыки стрельбы из лука, чтобы заставить требушет стрелять по заснеженной горе, вызывая лавину, которая хоронит руранов.

Мулан возвращается в лагерь и спасает Чэнь Хунхуэя, солдата, с которым она подружилась в лагере. Более она не может скрывать свой пол, ее исключают из армии, и она возвращается домой. На своем пути она сталкивается с Сяньнян, которая показывает, что ее так же избегали ее люди, и она сражается за Бери Хана только потому, что он относится к ней как к равной. Кроме того, она показывает, что атаки на аванпосты были отвлечением, поскольку истинный план Хана — захватить и казнить Императора за убийство его отца. Рискуя навлечь на себя казнь, Мулан возвращается в свой батальон, чтобы предупредить их о надвигающемся захвате. Тунг решает ей поверить и позволяет ей сопровождать отряд во дворец Императора.

Сяньнян, выдавая себя за имперского канцлера, убеждает Императора принять вызов Бери-хана на единоборство, снимая при этом городских стражей с их постов. Стражи убиты, и руранцы готовятся сжечь Императора заживо. Отряд Мулан отвлекает руран, пока Мулан идет спасать Императора. Хан пытается выстрелить в нее стрелой, но Сяньнян, симпатизирующая Мулан и разочарованная Ханом, превращается в птицу и жертвует собой, поймав стрелу. Мулан убивает Хана, но не раньше, чем он обезоруживает ее и уничтожает меч ее отца. Она освобождает Императора, который предлагает ей присоединиться к его личной гвардии. Она отклоняет предложение и возвращается в свою деревню.

Мулан воссоединяется со своей семьей. Эмиссар Императора под предводительством командующего Тунга прибывает, чтобы подарить Мулан новый меч, одновременно обращаясь с личной просьбой о присоединении к Императорской гвардии.

Mulan
Official release poster
Directed by	Niki Caro
Screenplay by	Rick Jaffa Amanda Silver Lauren Hynek Elizabeth Martin
Based on	Disney’s Mulan by Robert D. San Souci Rita Hsiao Chris Sanders Philip LaZebnik Raymond Singer Eugenia Bostwick-Singer Ballad of Mulan by Guo Maoqian
Produced by	Chris Bender Jake Weiner Jason T. Reed
Starring	Yifei Liu Donnie Yen Jason Scott Lee Yoson An Gong Li Jet Li
Cinematography	Mandy Walker
Edited by	David Coulson
Music by	Harry Gregson-Williams[1]
Production companies	Walt Disney Pictures Jason T. Reed Productions Good Fear Productions
Distributed by	Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release dates	March 9, 2020 (Dolby Theatre) September 4, 2020 (United States)
Running time	115 minutes[2]
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$200 million[3]
Box office	$70 million[4][5]

Mulan is a 2020 American fantasy action drama film produced by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Niki Caro from a screenplay by Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Lauren Hynek, and Elizabeth Martin, it is a live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1998 animated film of the same name, itself based on the Chinese folklore story Ballad of Mulan. The film stars Yifei Liu in the title role, alongside Donnie Yen, Tzi Ma, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Ron Yuan, Gong Li, and Jet Li in supporting roles. In the film, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, masquerades as a man to take her ailing father’s place during a general conscription to counter the Rouran army in Imperial China.

Plans for a live-action remake began in 2010 but the project stalled in development hell for most of the decade. Filming took place in New Zealand and China from August to November 2018. Over the course of production, the film was the subject of several controversies, including changes to the source material and filming in Xinjiang in light of the Uyghur genocide and Xinjiang internment camps. The film also received criticism for its production team largely consisting of people of non-Chinese descent. This included the hiring of Caro, rather than an Asian director.

Mulan held its world premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 9, 2020. The film was originally scheduled for a wide theatrical release later that month, but was cancelled in the United States after being delayed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequently, the film was released on September 4, 2020 by Disney+ for a premium fee known as Premier Access in countries where the service had launched.^[6] The film had a traditional theatrical release in countries without Disney+ where theaters had re-opened.

Due to its overall limited theatrical release as a result of the pandemic, the film grossed $70 million at the box office against a production budget of $200 million. The film received generally positive reviews from Western, non-Asian critics, who praised the action sequences, costumes, and performances, but was criticized for the screenplay and editing. However, it received unfavorable reviews from fans of the original animated film, Chinese diaspora, and Chinese critics, who criticized the character development, its cultural and historical inaccuracies, and its depiction of Chinese people. At the 93rd Academy Awards and 26th Critics’ Choice Awards, the film received nominations for its costume design and visual effects, as well as a Best Special Visual Effects nod at the 74th British Academy Film Awards. A sequel is in development.

Plot[edit]

In Imperial China, Hua Mulan is an adventurous and active girl, to the disappointment of her parents Zhou and Li, who hope that one day she will be wed to a good husband. As a young woman, Mulan is arranged to meet with a matchmaker to demonstrate her fitness as a future wife. Mulan, flustered, attempts to pour tea in front of the matchmaker, but a spider scares the former’s younger sister Xiu, accidentally causing a mishap that destroys the teapot, leading the matchmaker to call her a disgrace in front of her family.

To the north, an imperial outpost is invaded by Rouran warriors, under the leadership of Böri Khan. They are assisted by the witch Xianniang, who uses her magic to pose as a surviving soldier and report the attack to the Emperor of China; he then issues a conscription decree ordering every family to contribute one man to fight Khan’s forces.

Imperial soldiers arrive in Mulan’s village to enlist recruits and Zhou is forced to pledge his service as he has no sons, immediately falling over in front of the soldiers due to his crippled leg. Realizing that her father has no chance of survival, Mulan flees with his armor, horse, and sword to join in his place. Mulan arrives at the training camp, which is run by Commander Tung, an old comrade of Zhou. Alongside dozens of other inexperienced recruits, she ultimately becomes a trained soldier under his tutelage without exposing her true identity.

Khan’s army continues to advance, forcing Tung to end training early and send his battalion to fight. Mulan chases some troops on her own, but is confronted by Xianniang, who mocks her for pretending to be a man. She attempts to kill Mulan, but her attacks are stopped by the leather with which Mulan’s chest had been bound to hide her identity. Mulan removes her male disguise, returning to the battle just as the Rourans begin attacking her fellow troops with a trebuchet. Mulan uses discarded helmets and her archery skills to maneuver the trebuchet into firing on a snowy mountain, triggering an avalanche that buries the Rourans.

Mulan rides back to camp and rescues Chen Honghui, a soldier she befriended in camp. Mulan decides to reveal her gender to Commander Tung, she is expelled from the army and begins her return home. On her way, she is confronted by Xianniang, who reveals that she was also shunned by her people and fights for Khan only because he treats her as an equal and that no one else does. Additionally, she reveals that the attacks on the outposts have been a diversion, as Khan’s true plan is to capture and execute the Emperor for having his father killed. Risking execution, Mulan returns to her battalion to warn them of the impending capture. The soldiers she befriended stand up for her, and Tung decides to believe her, and allows her to lead a unit to the Emperor’s palace.

Xianniang uses her magic to be in the image of the Imperial Chancellor and persuades the Emperor to accept Böri Khan’s challenge to single combat, while removing the city guards from their posts. The guards are murdered, and the Rourans prepare to burn the Emperor alive. Mulan’s unit distracts the Rourans while Mulan goes to save the Emperor. Khan tries to snipe her with an arrow, but Xianniang, sympathetic to Mulan and disenchanted from Khan, transforms into a hawk and sacrifices herself by intercepting the arrow. Mulan kills Khan, but not before he disarms her and destroys her father’s sword. She frees the Emperor, who offers to let her join his personal guard. She declines the offer and returns to her village.

Mulan is reunited with her family. An emissary from the Emperor, under the leadership of Commander Tung, arrives to present Mulan with a new sword, while making a personal request that she join the Imperial Army as an officer.

Cast[edit]

• Yifei Liu as Mulan, the eldest daughter of Hua Zhou, who defies both tradition and the law by disguising herself as a man by the name of «Hua Jun», in order to enlist herself in the Imperial Army in place of her ailing father.^[7]
  • Liu reprised her role in the Mandarin-language dubbing of the movie.^[8][9][10]
  • Crystal Rao as young Mulan.
• Donnie Yen as Commander Tung, the high ranking leader of the Imperial Army and mentor to Mulan.^[11] Both Tung and Chen are based on Li Shang from the animated film.^[12]
• Gong Li as Xianniang,^[13] a powerful witch with shapeshifting abilities and an ally of Böri Khan.^[14] She often takes the shape of Khan’s hawk, based on Hayabusa from the original film.
  • Gong reprised her role in the Mandarin-language dubbing of the movie.^[8][9][10]
• Jason Scott Lee as Böri Khan, a Rouran^[12] warrior-leader intent on avenging his father’s death. Khan is based on Shan Yu from the animated film.^[13]
• Yoson An^[13] as Chen Honghui, a confident and ambitious recruit who joins Commander Tung’s unit, and becomes Mulan’s ally and love interest.^[15] Both Chen and Tung are based on Li Shang from the animated film.^[12]
• Jet Li as The Emperor of China, a wise benevolent ruler, who orders the mobilization of troops within the Imperial Army via the conscription of one man from each household, to fight the invading Rouran army.^[16]
  • Li reprised his role in the Mandarin-language dubbing of the movie.^[8][9][10]
• Tzi Ma as Hua Zhou, Mulan’s father and a famed war veteran, who is now recalled to the Imperial Army despite his crippled leg.^[17]
• Rosalind Chao as Hua Li, Mulan’s mother and Zhou’s wife.^[17]
• Xana Tang as Hua Xiu, Mulan’s younger sister, who suffers from arachnophobia.^[14] The character was created for the film’s plot because the filmmakers felt that «this added a broader emotional context and added more motivation for [Mulan’s] character.»^[12]
  • Elena Askin as young Xiu.
• Ron Yuan as Sergeant Qiang, the fiercely loyal second in command of the Imperial Regiment.^[18]
• Jun Yu as Cricket, a hapless recruit who joins Commander Tung’s unit. Cricket is based on Cri-Kee, a cricket from the animated film.^[19][12]
• Jimmy Wong as Ling, a recruit who joins Commander Tung’s unit.^[20]
• Chen Tang as Yao, a gruff recruit who joins Commander Tung’s unit.^[21]
• Doua Moua as Chien-Po, a chubby recruit who joins Commander Tung’s unit.^[20]
• Nelson Lee as The Chancellor, a member of the Emperor’s council in charge of conscripting new recruits to join the Imperial army. The Chancellor is based on Chi-Fu from the animated film.^[22]
• Cheng Pei-pei^[23] as the Matchmaker, a stern and imposing woman who is responsible for arranging marriages and obnoxiously judges potential brides, particularly Mulan.
  • Cheng reprised her role in the Mandarin-language dubbing of the movie.^[8][9][10]
• Arka Das as Red Fez, who is possessed by Xianniang to enter a palace which she and Böri Khan conquer^[24]

Additionally, Ming-Na Wen, the original voice of Mulan in the animated film, its sequel, and other projects, cameos as an esteemed guest who introduces Mulan to the Emperor.^[25] Utkarsh Ambudkar and Chum Ehelepola were cast as two con artists, Skatch and Ramtish,^[15] but their roles were cut from the final film.

Production[edit]

Development[edit]

As early as 2010, Walt Disney Pictures had expressed interest in a live-action adaptation of the 1998 animated film Mulan with international Chinese star Zhang Ziyi, and Chuck Russell chosen as the director. That version of the project never came to fruition.^[26]

On March 30, 2015, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Disney had restarted development of the live-action adaptation with Chris Bender and J. C. Spink producing, while Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek would be writing the screenplay.^[27] On October 4, 2016, it was announced that Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver would rewrite the script, combining the Chinese ballad and the 1998 animated film, while Jason T. Reed would be producing the film along with Bender and Jake Weiner.^[28] On February 27, 2020, Reed said that Mulan’s sidekick from the original film, Mushu, was removed due to the character’s negative reception in China.^[12] Reed also said, aside from both the original ballad and the animated film, the filmmakers drew inspiration from different Chinese adaptations of the ballad while writing the film. He stated that, since «[t]he traditional Disney audience and the diaspora Asian audience viewed the movie in one way, and the traditional Chinese in China audience viewed a slightly different way,» the filmmakers «dug in to try and make sure that [they are] addressing both of those audiences in a thoughtful way.»^[12]

Casting[edit]

Since several 2010s Hollywood films were accused of whitewashing, Mulan was under intense scrutiny since The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Disney was making a live-action adaptation of the 1998 film. An online petition titled «Tell Disney You Don’t Want A Whitewashed Mulan!» received more than 100,000 signatures.^[7] On October 4, 2016, Disney announced that a global search for a Chinese actress to portray the title role was underway.^[29] A team of casting directors visited five continents and saw nearly 1,000 candidates for the role with criteria that required credible martial arts skills, the ability to speak clear English, and star quality.^[30]

On November 29, 2017, Chinese-American actress Yifei Liu was cast in the film to portray the titular role of Mulan. Many celebrated this as a win for diversity in Disney films.^[7] Further cast announcements for Donnie Yen, Gong Li, Jet Li, and Xana Tang were made in April 2018,^[11][14] Utkarsh Ambudkar and Ron Yuan in May,^[31] Yoson An and Chum Ehelepola in June,^[15] Jason Scott Lee in July,^[13] Tzi Ma, Rosalind Chao, Cheng Pei-Pei, Nelson Lee, Jimmy Wong and Doua Moua in August,^[23][20] and Chen Tang in September.^[21]

Director

Disney originally sought an Asian director. They first considered Ang Lee, the Taiwanese-born director and two-time Academy Award winner for Best Director. The Hollywood Reporter mentioned that Lee was approached but declined, on October 12, 2016.^[32] According to the report, published on November 22, 2016, he said that he would like to see an Asian director leading the film, but he had to decline because he was still obliged to promote his film Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.^[33] Next, Disney met with Jiang Wen for the position; finally on February 14, 2017, New Zealander Niki Caro was hired as the director of the film, which made Mulan the second Disney film with a female director and a budget above $100 million, following A Wrinkle in Time.^[34]

Filming[edit]

Principal photography began on August 13, 2018, at locations in New Zealand and China and wrapped on November 25, 2018.^[35][23] According to actress Gong Li, the film’s production budget was $290–300 million due to the «massive and…unprecedented scale» of the sets,^[36][37] although the actual figure was later reported to be $200 million.^[3][38] The budget makes Mulan the most expensive film ever directed by a woman.^[39]

Post-production[edit]

The visual effects are provided by Sony Pictures Imageworks, Weta Digital, Framestore, and Image Engine. Seth Maury and Anders Langlands served as visual effects supervisors and Sean Andrew Faden served as production supervisor.^[40]

Music[edit]

Harry Gregson-Williams, who previously worked with Caro on The Zookeeper’s Wife, composed the film’s score with additional music by Tom Howe and Stephanie Economou.^[1] The remake does not feature any songs from the original film, and instead uses instrumental versions of the original film’s songs.^[41] However, a recreation of the original song «Reflection» had two versions, with one featuring in the film as well as the film’s end-credits, as confirmed by the original film’s song-writer Matthew Wilder.^[42]

Christina Aguilera, who previously performed an end-credits version of «Reflection» for the original film,^[43] confirmed during a performance in The Xperience that she had recorded a new version of «Reflection,» as well as new material for the remake’s soundtrack.^[44][45] She also recorded an original single titled «Loyal Brave True».^[46] The song was written by Jamie Hartman, Harry Gregson-Williams, Rosi Golan and Billy Crabtree, and produced by Jamie Hartman. The song was also released in Spanish, as «El Mejor Guerrero.» A Mandarin-version of the song, titled «自己» («Zìjǐ»), performed by Yifei Liu was also featured in the soundtrack album.^[47] The soundtrack album was released by Walt Disney Records on September 4, 2020.

Marketing[edit]

On July 7, 2019, the official teaser trailer and the official teaser poster were released during the broadcast of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final.^[19] The teaser trailer was viewed 175.1 million times in its first 24 hours, including 52 million from China, making it the seventh most viewed trailer in that time period.^[48] On September 30, an exclusive photo featuring Liu as a soldier in the Imperial Army was released on Empire‘s upcoming Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker issue.^[49] On October 24, a prequel novel written by writer Grace Lin was announced along with a preview being made available online. Entitled Mulan: Before the Sword, the novel was released on February 11, 2020.^[50] On November 4, a video clip filmed during a Toho cinema preview was leaked online, featuring new shots of Mulan as a warrior battling fiercely and taking off her hair band.^[51] On November 6, Liu was featured as one of the 25 stars of Next Gen Talent 2019 nominated by The Hollywood Reporter with two new studio stills released concurrently.^[52] As a result of delaying its original March 2020 release, film executives estimated that each time the film was delayed it cost Disney between $200,000 and $400,000 in marketing fees, a figure that could reach $5 million if it was moved out of the summer season altogether.^[53] Variety estimated that Disney spent around $50 million on global advertisement for the film, with Deadline Hollywood attributing $35 million of the marketing budget to TV ads.^[54][55]

A tie-in novelization of the film written by Elizabeth Rudnick was published by Disney Publishing Worldwide on February 11, 2020.^[56]

Release[edit]

Theatrical and streaming[edit]

Mulan‘s world premiere was held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 9, 2020.^[57] The film was originally scheduled for a November 2, 2018 theatrical release, but was delayed, with The Nutcracker and the Four Realms taking its slot.^[29] It was rescheduled for March 27, 2020^[58][59] before being removed from the release calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[60] The film later rescheduled for July 24, 2020, taking the former slot of Jungle Cruise,^[61] and then was delayed again to August 21, 2020.^[62] On July 23, the film was removed from the release calendar once again.^[63][64][65]

On August 4, 2020, Disney announced that it was cancelling the film’s theatrical release in the United States, and would instead premiere the film on Disney+ with Premier Access for a premium fee on September 4, 2020.^[66] Mulan was available for the purchase until November 2, 2020, and was made available for free to all subscribers on December 4.^[67] The film was not offered in France as a premium offering, instead releasing to Disney+ subscribers in the country for free at a later date.^[68] Speaking about the US$29.99 price point for the film in the United States, Disney CEO Bob Chapek said, «We’re trying to establish a new premiere access window to capture [the] investment we got [in the film]… From our research under a premiere access offering, not only does it get us revenue from our original transaction of PVOD, but it’s a fairly large stimulus to sign up for Disney+.»^[66] The premium fee was approximately US$26.00 in other countries when considering conversion rates for their native currencies.^[68] Unlike other premium VOD releases that feature a 48-hour viewing window, Mulan remains available to renters for as long as they stay subscribed to Disney+.^[69]

The film was still released theatrically in countries where theaters had re-opened, and do not have Disney+.^[66] In China, the film was released on September 11, 2020.^[70]

Mulan received a PG-13 rating from the Motion Picture Association, the first Disney live-action remake to be given such a rating.^[71]

Home media[edit]

Mulan was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on Digital HD on October 6, 2020, followed by a DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra HD Blu-ray release on November 10, 2020.^[72]

Controversies[edit]

The film was marked by several controversies, relating to both production decisions as well as comments by individuals involved in the movie. Disney CFO Christine McCarthy has stated that the controversies the film has caused have created «a lot of issues for [Disney].»^[73]

Filming in Xinjiang[edit]

Criticism has been directed at the fact that filming took place in the autonomous region of Xinjiang, where human rights abuses are taking place. At the end of the credits, the film gives special thanks to several government entities in Xinjiang, including the now-sanctioned Xinjiang Public Security Bureau in Turpan, and several local committees of the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party.^[74][75] The public security bureau in Turpan was added to the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security’s Entity List in October 2019.^[76][77]

According to Reuters, after the controversy about the film’s links with Xinjiang erupted overseas, the Chinese government ordered media outlets not to cover the release of Mulan.^[78] At a September 10 conference, Disney CFO Christine McCarthy said in response to the controversy that «almost the entirety» of the film had been shot in New Zealand, but that 20 Chinese locations were used to «accurately depict some of the unique landscape and geography of the country».^[79][80] US Senator Josh Hawley sent a letter to Disney CEO Bob Chapek asking, among other things, for clarification on Chinese government involvement in the film.^[81] The Human Rights Foundation also sent a letter to Chapek asking Disney to condemn human rights violations and consider donating some of the film’s earnings to promote human rights in Xinjiang.^[81][82][83]

In September 2020, 135 British MPs signed a letter condemning China’s human rights abuses, addressed to Liu Xiaoming, Chinese ambassador to the U.K. The petition was written in response of a BBC video detailing the production of Mulan.^[84][85] On October 7, 2020, British politician Iain Duncan Smith sent an email to Disney, criticizing the filming in Xinjiang, with Disney defending it, saying, «it is standard practice across the film industry worldwide to acknowledge in a film’s credits the cooperation, approvals, and assistance provided by various entities and individuals over the course of a film’s production.» Smith responded by saying, «Disney’s corporate policy does not appear to care about the human rights issues,» on Twitter.^[86]

Lack of diversity in production team[edit]

There was criticism over having a production team largely composed of people of non-Asian/Chinese descent, such as for the roles of director, costume designer, and screenwriter.^[87]

Disney received some criticism for not hiring an Asian director. In a February 2020 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, director Niki Caro responded to the criticism by saying «Although it’s a critically important Chinese story and it’s set in Chinese culture and history, there is another culture at play here, which is the culture of Disney, and that the director, whoever they were, needed to be able to handle both — and here I am.»^[88] In an August 2020 interview with Film School Rejects, Caro responded further to the criticism, saying «Firstly, I resist the idea that you tell somebody who can tell what story. That sounds a little bit like censorship to me. An artist will express themselves, and the burden of responsibility is on the art. That will be judged — and should be judged. The other side of it is that more diverse people need to be allowed to tell stories. That’s what it comes down to. The people who are hired for all kinds of stories need to be more diverse. It can’t just be white people being hired to make movies, no matter what the subject matter is. Our culture is going to be richer for the more diversity there is, and the art, the movies, the television, it will be better. The more this conversation is being had, the more that diverse artists are given opportunities.»^[89]

Removal of Li Shang[edit]

In a February 27, 2020 interview, film producer Jason T. Reed said that Mulan’s love interest from the original film, Captain Li Shang, was dropped in response to the MeToo movement. In his statement, he explained that «having a commanding officer that is also the sexual love interest was very uncomfortable and we didn’t think it was appropriate».^[90] The reasoning behind the removal was met with social media backlash from fans of the original film and members of the LGBTQ community, who deemed Shang’s relationship with Mulan’s male alter ego Ping to be bisexual.^[91][92] Reed was initially surprised by criticism of Shang’s removal, but acknowledged that the character had become a «LGBTQ icon»,^[93] and clarified that Shang’s role would be served by two new characters, Commander Tung and Chen Honghui.^[91][93]

In September 2020, Cynthia Vinney of CBR wrote that Honghui’s interactions with Mulan were «more homoerotic» than Li Shang’s in the animated version and likewise «can be read as bisexual».^[94] Lauren Puckett of Harper’s Bazaar wrote «Some fans understood and agreed with the #MeToo argument. Others found it offensive, arguing that Shang would never use his commanding position to coerce a woman into romance. He waited until after she was no longer under his command to pursue any sort of romantic relationship. And anyway, it was Mulan who had the crush on him! […] Despite [Honghui’s] attraction, he hardly has the same respect for her that brave and beautiful Li Shang did.»^[95]

[edit]

A call to boycott the film began when Yifei Liu reshared an image posted by the People’s Daily, an official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party. The image included a quote from Chinese reporter Fu Guohao who worked for the state-owned tabloid Global Times and was subsequently assaulted by protesters during the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests: «I support Hong Kong police. You can beat me now. What a shame for Hong Kong.» This sparked international controversy, with Liu being accused of supporting police brutality in Hong Kong. The hashtag #BoycottMulan started trending, which advocated for a boycott of the film.^[96][97][98] In response to the controversy, Liu was not present at the 2019 D23 Expo, despite presenting an exclusive sneak peek of the film to fans.^[99]

Reception[edit]

Premium video on demand[edit]

Variety estimated Mulan would need to be rented by about 8.4 million subscribers (13.8%) in order to break even.^[54] On the weekend of the film’s release, the Disney+ app was downloaded 68% more than the past weeks’ total, similar to the 72% spike upon Hamilton‘s release that July.^[100] Deadline Hollywood reported that industry sources with knowledge of the situation «are figuring that Disney may not have earned great presales» and that they could put Mulan on a third-party service before the December release.^[101] However, following the film’s opening weekend, Business Insider reported it had been viewed by 1.12 million households (only including users renting with TV-connected devices), which would result in $33.5 million in sales for Disney.^[102] Yahoo! Finance then reported that, according to analytics research firm 7Park Data, nearly 29% of U.S. Disney+ subscribers that accessed the app from September 1 to 12 purchased Mulan, which in the best-case scenario would result in $261 million for Disney.^[103] 7Park Data co-founder Brian Lichtenberger stated Yahoo! Finance overestimated Mulan‘s revenue, as their figures were for accounts active during that period and not the total subscriber base, and clarified that 10.3% of all accounts purchased the film, with U.S. revenue estimated to be $62–93 million; Yahoo! Finance amended their article to reflect this.^[104][105]

According to Nielsen ratings, Mulan was one of the top ten most-watched streams in the United States between August 31 and September 6, 2020. During its opening weekend between September 4–6, Mulan drew 525 million streaming minutes in the United States.^[106]

In its first weekend of being available on other digital platforms, Mulan was the top-rented film on FandangoNow, and third on both Apple TV and Google Play.^[107] In its second weekend in the open market, the film placed second at Fandango, fourth on Google Play, and fifth at Apple TV.^[108] In October 2020, The Hollywood Reporter said the film was the most popular PVOD title amid the COVID-19 pandemic,^[109] and the following month Variety reported the film was the sixth-most watched straight-to-streaming title of 2020 up to that point.^[110]

Box office[edit]

Mulan grossed $5.9 million from nine countries in its international opening weekend, including $1.2 million in Thailand and $700,000 in Singapore, both of which were the highest debuts of 2020 in the respective countries. It also made $800,000 in both the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.^[111][112] In its second weekend the film made $29.1 million from 17 countries, including $1.8 million in Russia and finishing first in Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, and South Africa.^[113] Through three weekends the film had grossed $57 million internationally.^[114]

The film made $23.2 million on its opening weekend in China, a low figure but a 23% improvement upon Aladdin‘s debut the year before.^[113] Several factors, such as the film only receiving an official Chinese release date days before, giving little chance to build a strong marketing campaign, the film’s Disney+ digital release resulting in pirated copies online, a lack of local press coverage due to the film being partially shot in the controversial Xinjiang region and to avoid drawing attention to the political controversies surrounding the film, as well as low reception from fans on sites such as Maoyan and Douban, were cited as contributing to the film’s muted performance.^{[113][115][116]} The film fell 72% in its second weekend in the country to $6.5 million.^[114]

Critical response[edit]

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 73% of 322 critic reviews were positive, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The site’s critical consensus read, «It could have told its classic story with greater depth, but the live-action Mulan is a visual marvel that serves as a stirring update to its animated predecessor.»^[117] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100 based on 52 critics, indicating «generally favorable reviews».^[118]

Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three-and-a-half out of four stars, praising the «fine cast, exciting action and spectacular visuals» and writing, «This is such a great-looking film, with amazing set pieces and dazzling action and colors so vibrant they would dazzle a Crayola factory, it will still play well on your home monitor. There are so many gorgeous shades of orange and magenta, blue and yellow, it’s as if we’re seeing these colors for the first time.»^[119] Kate Erbland of IndieWire gave the film a «B+», calling it a «remarkable action epic that carves its own path» and wrote, «Mulan is perhaps the best example of how to marry the original with something fresh. ‘The Ballad of Mulan’ has always been an epic-scale story about the power of being yourself in a world not ready to accept that, a tale that will likely always have resonance.»^[120]

Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B+ and described it as «a classic hero(ine)’s tale, exhilarating in its elaborate set pieces and large-scale ambitions even when the smaller human story within it sometimes falls short.»^[121] Writing for Variety, Peter Debruge said, «On one hand, the result isn’t immediately recognizable as ‘a Disney movie,’ but neither does it establish its own narrative or visual signature, the way Tarantino did when remixing Asian influences for Kill Bill. This is pure pastiche, as Caro and her crew shamelessly pilfer from kung fu, Fifth Generation and Hong Kong action movies, incorporating anime and Bollywood touches as well.»^[122]

Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, «Mulan is a spirit lifter, and though it doesn’t arrive as planned, it could not arrive at a better time», saying «Throughout Mulan, there are shots of such visual splendor that viewers will catch their breath. In one, the morning mist clears and reveals an army in the distance, with its flags and colors, a frightening yet strangely beautiful sight.»^[123] Justin Chang of the Los Angeles Times wrote, «Mulan is a heroic muddle, one that elicits both a disappointed sigh and an appreciative nod. It lays down a marker of progress achieved and progress to come.»^[124]

Aja Romano of Vox wrote, «The Mulan remake jettisons everything great about Disney’s animated classic and delivers nothing new» and «Mulan‘s few bright spots can’t save it from clunky writing».^[125]

Anupama Chopra of Film Companion wrote, «Mulan should have been a much better film. I loved the 1998 animated original. The live action version doesn’t have songs or the sassy, talking dragon Mushu. The beats are predictable and it’s decidedly odd to see Chinese people speaking with American accents. But I’m a sucker for father-daughter stories.»^[126]

Walter Chaw of Film Freak Central gave the film one half out of four stars, writing, «[E]verything about this Mulan is ironic accidentally. Whatever its intentions, its execution and the circumstances of its creation are in opposition to them. It’s a feminist tract that enforces male notions of value; a call to arms that fights for the wrong side of our current history; and a proud statement of national identity that celebrates the Nation of Disney as opposed to China. It’s majestically painful as a representation of how white people view Asians and, yes, it would be different had an Asian person been allowed to direct the film.»^[127]

Grace Wong of the Chicago Tribune wrote, «The animated Mulan meant so much to me, and the character I grew up loving taught me that being loyal, brave and true means standing up for what you believe in, no matter the cost. Today, I believe Mulan would be on the side of the Hong Kong protesters, who also fight to have independence, their voices heard and their lives valued. I hoped to see these threads in the new iteration. Instead we got an almost unrecognisable, twisted reflection of the original.»^[128]

Hamilton College professor Zhuoyi Wang argues that the film «is not, as many believe, just another Disney film suffering from simple artistic inability, cultural insensitivity, or political injustice, but a window into the tension-ridden intersectionality of the gender, sexual, racial, cultural, and political issues that shape the production and reception of today’s cross-cultural films.» «The film made significant compromises between its goals of cultural appropriateness, progressive feminism, and monetary success. Although it eventually failed to satisfactorily resolve these at times conflicting missions, it still achieved important progress in addressing some serious gender and cultural problems in Mulan’s contemporary intertextual metamorphosis, especially those introduced by the Disney animation.»^[129]

In China[edit]

Mulan was poorly received by Chinese critics and audiences. The film scored 4.7 out of 10 on the rating site Douban after its debut.^[130] Reviewers on Douban contended that the film had flat characters and a bland story with details that did not make sense. Many people also appeared unsatisfied with how the film handles certain Chinese cultural elements. One of the more common complaints about the film is its treatment of qi. Qi is a traditional idea in martial arts and Chinese medicine concerning a person’s energy flow. But in Mulan, qi becomes a magical power that the eponymous heroine possesses. That power is limited by dishonesty, keeping Mulan from realizing her full potential until she strips away her disguise as a man. Other Chinese viewers complained about some of the characters’ make-up, saying that it reflects Western stereotypes of China, rather than being a reflection of actual Chinese culture.^[131][132] As of December 2020, it scored 5.0.^[133]

Yanni Chow and Carol Mang of Reuters wrote that the film had «a lacklustre reception in Hong Kong» amidst calls from pro-democracy activists for a boycott.^[116]

Accolades[edit]

Sequel[edit]

In April 2020, it was reported that a Mulan sequel is in development with Chris Bender, Jason T. Reed, and Jake Weiner returning as producers.^[156]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Mulan
Official release poster
Directed by	Niki Caro
Screenplay by	Rick Jaffa Amanda Silver Lauren Hynek Elizabeth Martin
Based on	Disney’s Mulan by Robert D. San Souci Rita Hsiao Chris Sanders Philip LaZebnik Raymond Singer Eugenia Bostwick-Singer Ballad of Mulan by Guo Maoqian
Produced by	Chris Bender Jake Weiner Jason T. Reed
Starring	Yifei Liu Donnie Yen Jason Scott Lee Yoson An Gong Li Jet Li
Cinematography	Mandy Walker
Edited by	David Coulson
Music by	Harry Gregson-Williams[1]
Production companies	Walt Disney Pictures Jason T. Reed Productions Good Fear Productions
Distributed by	Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release dates	March 9, 2020 (Dolby Theatre) September 4, 2020 (United States)
Running time	115 minutes[2]
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$200 million[3]
Box office	$70 million[4][5]

Mulan is a 2020 American fantasy action drama film produced by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Niki Caro from a screenplay by Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Lauren Hynek, and Elizabeth Martin, it is a live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1998 animated film of the same name, itself based on the Chinese folklore story Ballad of Mulan. The film stars Yifei Liu in the title role, alongside Donnie Yen, Tzi Ma, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Ron Yuan, Gong Li, and Jet Li in supporting roles. In the film, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, masquerades as a man to take her ailing father’s place during a general conscription to counter the Rouran army in Imperial China.

Plans for a live-action remake began in 2010 but the project stalled in development hell for most of the decade. Filming took place in New Zealand and China from August to November 2018. Over the course of production, the film was the subject of several controversies, including changes to the source material and filming in Xinjiang in light of the Uyghur genocide and Xinjiang internment camps. The film also received criticism for its production team largely consisting of people of non-Chinese descent. This included the hiring of Caro, rather than an Asian director.

Mulan held its world premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 9, 2020. The film was originally scheduled for a wide theatrical release later that month, but was cancelled in the United States after being delayed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequently, the film was released on September 4, 2020 by Disney+ for a premium fee known as Premier Access in countries where the service had launched.^[6] The film had a traditional theatrical release in countries without Disney+ where theaters had re-opened.

Due to its overall limited theatrical release as a result of the pandemic, the film grossed $70 million at the box office against a production budget of $200 million. The film received generally positive reviews from Western, non-Asian critics, who praised the action sequences, costumes, and performances, but was criticized for the screenplay and editing. However, it received unfavorable reviews from fans of the original animated film, Chinese diaspora, and Chinese critics, who criticized the character development, its cultural and historical inaccuracies, and its depiction of Chinese people. At the 93rd Academy Awards and 26th Critics’ Choice Awards, the film received nominations for its costume design and visual effects, as well as a Best Special Visual Effects nod at the 74th British Academy Film Awards. A sequel is in development.

Plot[edit]

In Imperial China, Hua Mulan is an adventurous and active girl, to the disappointment of her parents Zhou and Li, who hope that one day she will be wed to a good husband. As a young woman, Mulan is arranged to meet with a matchmaker to demonstrate her fitness as a future wife. Mulan, flustered, attempts to pour tea in front of the matchmaker, but a spider scares the former’s younger sister Xiu, accidentally causing a mishap that destroys the teapot, leading the matchmaker to call her a disgrace in front of her family.

To the north, an imperial outpost is invaded by Rouran warriors, under the leadership of Böri Khan. They are assisted by the witch Xianniang, who uses her magic to pose as a surviving soldier and report the attack to the Emperor of China; he then issues a conscription decree ordering every family to contribute one man to fight Khan’s forces.

Imperial soldiers arrive in Mulan’s village to enlist recruits and Zhou is forced to pledge his service as he has no sons, immediately falling over in front of the soldiers due to his crippled leg. Realizing that her father has no chance of survival, Mulan flees with his armor, horse, and sword to join in his place. Mulan arrives at the training camp, which is run by Commander Tung, an old comrade of Zhou. Alongside dozens of other inexperienced recruits, she ultimately becomes a trained soldier under his tutelage without exposing her true identity.

Khan’s army continues to advance, forcing Tung to end training early and send his battalion to fight. Mulan chases some troops on her own, but is confronted by Xianniang, who mocks her for pretending to be a man. She attempts to kill Mulan, but her attacks are stopped by the leather with which Mulan’s chest had been bound to hide her identity. Mulan removes her male disguise, returning to the battle just as the Rourans begin attacking her fellow troops with a trebuchet. Mulan uses discarded helmets and her archery skills to maneuver the trebuchet into firing on a snowy mountain, triggering an avalanche that buries the Rourans.

Mulan rides back to camp and rescues Chen Honghui, a soldier she befriended in camp. Mulan decides to reveal her gender to Commander Tung, she is expelled from the army and begins her return home. On her way, she is confronted by Xianniang, who reveals that she was also shunned by her people and fights for Khan only because he treats her as an equal and that no one else does. Additionally, she reveals that the attacks on the outposts have been a diversion, as Khan’s true plan is to capture and execute the Emperor for having his father killed. Risking execution, Mulan returns to her battalion to warn them of the impending capture. The soldiers she befriended stand up for her, and Tung decides to believe her, and allows her to lead a unit to the Emperor’s palace.

Xianniang uses her magic to be in the image of the Imperial Chancellor and persuades the Emperor to accept Böri Khan’s challenge to single combat, while removing the city guards from their posts. The guards are murdered, and the Rourans prepare to burn the Emperor alive. Mulan’s unit distracts the Rourans while Mulan goes to save the Emperor. Khan tries to snipe her with an arrow, but Xianniang, sympathetic to Mulan and disenchanted from Khan, transforms into a hawk and sacrifices herself by intercepting the arrow. Mulan kills Khan, but not before he disarms her and destroys her father’s sword. She frees the Emperor, who offers to let her join his personal guard. She declines the offer and returns to her village.

Mulan is reunited with her family. An emissary from the Emperor, under the leadership of Commander Tung, arrives to present Mulan with a new sword, while making a personal request that she join the Imperial Army as an officer.

Cast[edit]

• Yifei Liu as Mulan, the eldest daughter of Hua Zhou, who defies both tradition and the law by disguising herself as a man by the name of «Hua Jun», in order to enlist herself in the Imperial Army in place of her ailing father.^[7]
  • Liu reprised her role in the Mandarin-language dubbing of the movie.^[8][9][10]
  • Crystal Rao as young Mulan.
• Donnie Yen as Commander Tung, the high ranking leader of the Imperial Army and mentor to Mulan.^[11] Both Tung and Chen are based on Li Shang from the animated film.^[12]
• Gong Li as Xianniang,^[13] a powerful witch with shapeshifting abilities and an ally of Böri Khan.^[14] She often takes the shape of Khan’s hawk, based on Hayabusa from the original film.
  • Gong reprised her role in the Mandarin-language dubbing of the movie.^[8][9][10]
• Jason Scott Lee as Böri Khan, a Rouran^[12] warrior-leader intent on avenging his father’s death. Khan is based on Shan Yu from the animated film.^[13]
• Yoson An^[13] as Chen Honghui, a confident and ambitious recruit who joins Commander Tung’s unit, and becomes Mulan’s ally and love interest.^[15] Both Chen and Tung are based on Li Shang from the animated film.^[12]
• Jet Li as The Emperor of China, a wise benevolent ruler, who orders the mobilization of troops within the Imperial Army via the conscription of one man from each household, to fight the invading Rouran army.^[16]
  • Li reprised his role in the Mandarin-language dubbing of the movie.^[8][9][10]
• Tzi Ma as Hua Zhou, Mulan’s father and a famed war veteran, who is now recalled to the Imperial Army despite his crippled leg.^[17]
• Rosalind Chao as Hua Li, Mulan’s mother and Zhou’s wife.^[17]
• Xana Tang as Hua Xiu, Mulan’s younger sister, who suffers from arachnophobia.^[14] The character was created for the film’s plot because the filmmakers felt that «this added a broader emotional context and added more motivation for [Mulan’s] character.»^[12]
  • Elena Askin as young Xiu.
• Ron Yuan as Sergeant Qiang, the fiercely loyal second in command of the Imperial Regiment.^[18]
• Jun Yu as Cricket, a hapless recruit who joins Commander Tung’s unit. Cricket is based on Cri-Kee, a cricket from the animated film.^[19][12]
• Jimmy Wong as Ling, a recruit who joins Commander Tung’s unit.^[20]
• Chen Tang as Yao, a gruff recruit who joins Commander Tung’s unit.^[21]
• Doua Moua as Chien-Po, a chubby recruit who joins Commander Tung’s unit.^[20]
• Nelson Lee as The Chancellor, a member of the Emperor’s council in charge of conscripting new recruits to join the Imperial army. The Chancellor is based on Chi-Fu from the animated film.^[22]
• Cheng Pei-pei^[23] as the Matchmaker, a stern and imposing woman who is responsible for arranging marriages and obnoxiously judges potential brides, particularly Mulan.
  • Cheng reprised her role in the Mandarin-language dubbing of the movie.^[8][9][10]
• Arka Das as Red Fez, who is possessed by Xianniang to enter a palace which she and Böri Khan conquer^[24]

Additionally, Ming-Na Wen, the original voice of Mulan in the animated film, its sequel, and other projects, cameos as an esteemed guest who introduces Mulan to the Emperor.^[25] Utkarsh Ambudkar and Chum Ehelepola were cast as two con artists, Skatch and Ramtish,^[15] but their roles were cut from the final film.

Production[edit]

Development[edit]

As early as 2010, Walt Disney Pictures had expressed interest in a live-action adaptation of the 1998 animated film Mulan with international Chinese star Zhang Ziyi, and Chuck Russell chosen as the director. That version of the project never came to fruition.^[26]

On March 30, 2015, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Disney had restarted development of the live-action adaptation with Chris Bender and J. C. Spink producing, while Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek would be writing the screenplay.^[27] On October 4, 2016, it was announced that Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver would rewrite the script, combining the Chinese ballad and the 1998 animated film, while Jason T. Reed would be producing the film along with Bender and Jake Weiner.^[28] On February 27, 2020, Reed said that Mulan’s sidekick from the original film, Mushu, was removed due to the character’s negative reception in China.^[12] Reed also said, aside from both the original ballad and the animated film, the filmmakers drew inspiration from different Chinese adaptations of the ballad while writing the film. He stated that, since «[t]he traditional Disney audience and the diaspora Asian audience viewed the movie in one way, and the traditional Chinese in China audience viewed a slightly different way,» the filmmakers «dug in to try and make sure that [they are] addressing both of those audiences in a thoughtful way.»^[12]

Casting[edit]

Since several 2010s Hollywood films were accused of whitewashing, Mulan was under intense scrutiny since The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Disney was making a live-action adaptation of the 1998 film. An online petition titled «Tell Disney You Don’t Want A Whitewashed Mulan!» received more than 100,000 signatures.^[7] On October 4, 2016, Disney announced that a global search for a Chinese actress to portray the title role was underway.^[29] A team of casting directors visited five continents and saw nearly 1,000 candidates for the role with criteria that required credible martial arts skills, the ability to speak clear English, and star quality.^[30]

On November 29, 2017, Chinese-American actress Yifei Liu was cast in the film to portray the titular role of Mulan. Many celebrated this as a win for diversity in Disney films.^[7] Further cast announcements for Donnie Yen, Gong Li, Jet Li, and Xana Tang were made in April 2018,^[11][14] Utkarsh Ambudkar and Ron Yuan in May,^[31] Yoson An and Chum Ehelepola in June,^[15] Jason Scott Lee in July,^[13] Tzi Ma, Rosalind Chao, Cheng Pei-Pei, Nelson Lee, Jimmy Wong and Doua Moua in August,^[23][20] and Chen Tang in September.^[21]

Director

Disney originally sought an Asian director. They first considered Ang Lee, the Taiwanese-born director and two-time Academy Award winner for Best Director. The Hollywood Reporter mentioned that Lee was approached but declined, on October 12, 2016.^[32] According to the report, published on November 22, 2016, he said that he would like to see an Asian director leading the film, but he had to decline because he was still obliged to promote his film Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.^[33] Next, Disney met with Jiang Wen for the position; finally on February 14, 2017, New Zealander Niki Caro was hired as the director of the film, which made Mulan the second Disney film with a female director and a budget above $100 million, following A Wrinkle in Time.^[34]

Filming[edit]

Principal photography began on August 13, 2018, at locations in New Zealand and China and wrapped on November 25, 2018.^[35][23] According to actress Gong Li, the film’s production budget was $290–300 million due to the «massive and…unprecedented scale» of the sets,^[36][37] although the actual figure was later reported to be $200 million.^[3][38] The budget makes Mulan the most expensive film ever directed by a woman.^[39]

Post-production[edit]

The visual effects are provided by Sony Pictures Imageworks, Weta Digital, Framestore, and Image Engine. Seth Maury and Anders Langlands served as visual effects supervisors and Sean Andrew Faden served as production supervisor.^[40]

Music[edit]

Harry Gregson-Williams, who previously worked with Caro on The Zookeeper’s Wife, composed the film’s score with additional music by Tom Howe and Stephanie Economou.^[1] The remake does not feature any songs from the original film, and instead uses instrumental versions of the original film’s songs.^[41] However, a recreation of the original song «Reflection» had two versions, with one featuring in the film as well as the film’s end-credits, as confirmed by the original film’s song-writer Matthew Wilder.^[42]

Christina Aguilera, who previously performed an end-credits version of «Reflection» for the original film,^[43] confirmed during a performance in The Xperience that she had recorded a new version of «Reflection,» as well as new material for the remake’s soundtrack.^[44][45] She also recorded an original single titled «Loyal Brave True».^[46] The song was written by Jamie Hartman, Harry Gregson-Williams, Rosi Golan and Billy Crabtree, and produced by Jamie Hartman. The song was also released in Spanish, as «El Mejor Guerrero.» A Mandarin-version of the song, titled «自己» («Zìjǐ»), performed by Yifei Liu was also featured in the soundtrack album.^[47] The soundtrack album was released by Walt Disney Records on September 4, 2020.

Marketing[edit]

On July 7, 2019, the official teaser trailer and the official teaser poster were released during the broadcast of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final.^[19] The teaser trailer was viewed 175.1 million times in its first 24 hours, including 52 million from China, making it the seventh most viewed trailer in that time period.^[48] On September 30, an exclusive photo featuring Liu as a soldier in the Imperial Army was released on Empire‘s upcoming Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker issue.^[49] On October 24, a prequel novel written by writer Grace Lin was announced along with a preview being made available online. Entitled Mulan: Before the Sword, the novel was released on February 11, 2020.^[50] On November 4, a video clip filmed during a Toho cinema preview was leaked online, featuring new shots of Mulan as a warrior battling fiercely and taking off her hair band.^[51] On November 6, Liu was featured as one of the 25 stars of Next Gen Talent 2019 nominated by The Hollywood Reporter with two new studio stills released concurrently.^[52] As a result of delaying its original March 2020 release, film executives estimated that each time the film was delayed it cost Disney between $200,000 and $400,000 in marketing fees, a figure that could reach $5 million if it was moved out of the summer season altogether.^[53] Variety estimated that Disney spent around $50 million on global advertisement for the film, with Deadline Hollywood attributing $35 million of the marketing budget to TV ads.^[54][55]

A tie-in novelization of the film written by Elizabeth Rudnick was published by Disney Publishing Worldwide on February 11, 2020.^[56]

Release[edit]

Theatrical and streaming[edit]

Mulan‘s world premiere was held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 9, 2020.^[57] The film was originally scheduled for a November 2, 2018 theatrical release, but was delayed, with The Nutcracker and the Four Realms taking its slot.^[29] It was rescheduled for March 27, 2020^[58][59] before being removed from the release calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[60] The film later rescheduled for July 24, 2020, taking the former slot of Jungle Cruise,^[61] and then was delayed again to August 21, 2020.^[62] On July 23, the film was removed from the release calendar once again.^[63][64][65]

On August 4, 2020, Disney announced that it was cancelling the film’s theatrical release in the United States, and would instead premiere the film on Disney+ with Premier Access for a premium fee on September 4, 2020.^[66] Mulan was available for the purchase until November 2, 2020, and was made available for free to all subscribers on December 4.^[67] The film was not offered in France as a premium offering, instead releasing to Disney+ subscribers in the country for free at a later date.^[68] Speaking about the US$29.99 price point for the film in the United States, Disney CEO Bob Chapek said, «We’re trying to establish a new premiere access window to capture [the] investment we got [in the film]… From our research under a premiere access offering, not only does it get us revenue from our original transaction of PVOD, but it’s a fairly large stimulus to sign up for Disney+.»^[66] The premium fee was approximately US$26.00 in other countries when considering conversion rates for their native currencies.^[68] Unlike other premium VOD releases that feature a 48-hour viewing window, Mulan remains available to renters for as long as they stay subscribed to Disney+.^[69]

The film was still released theatrically in countries where theaters had re-opened, and do not have Disney+.^[66] In China, the film was released on September 11, 2020.^[70]

Mulan received a PG-13 rating from the Motion Picture Association, the first Disney live-action remake to be given such a rating.^[71]

Home media[edit]

Mulan was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on Digital HD on October 6, 2020, followed by a DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra HD Blu-ray release on November 10, 2020.^[72]

Controversies[edit]

The film was marked by several controversies, relating to both production decisions as well as comments by individuals involved in the movie. Disney CFO Christine McCarthy has stated that the controversies the film has caused have created «a lot of issues for [Disney].»^[73]

Filming in Xinjiang[edit]

Criticism has been directed at the fact that filming took place in the autonomous region of Xinjiang, where human rights abuses are taking place. At the end of the credits, the film gives special thanks to several government entities in Xinjiang, including the now-sanctioned Xinjiang Public Security Bureau in Turpan, and several local committees of the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party.^[74][75] The public security bureau in Turpan was added to the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security’s Entity List in October 2019.^[76][77]

According to Reuters, after the controversy about the film’s links with Xinjiang erupted overseas, the Chinese government ordered media outlets not to cover the release of Mulan.^[78] At a September 10 conference, Disney CFO Christine McCarthy said in response to the controversy that «almost the entirety» of the film had been shot in New Zealand, but that 20 Chinese locations were used to «accurately depict some of the unique landscape and geography of the country».^[79][80] US Senator Josh Hawley sent a letter to Disney CEO Bob Chapek asking, among other things, for clarification on Chinese government involvement in the film.^[81] The Human Rights Foundation also sent a letter to Chapek asking Disney to condemn human rights violations and consider donating some of the film’s earnings to promote human rights in Xinjiang.^[81][82][83]

In September 2020, 135 British MPs signed a letter condemning China’s human rights abuses, addressed to Liu Xiaoming, Chinese ambassador to the U.K. The petition was written in response of a BBC video detailing the production of Mulan.^[84][85] On October 7, 2020, British politician Iain Duncan Smith sent an email to Disney, criticizing the filming in Xinjiang, with Disney defending it, saying, «it is standard practice across the film industry worldwide to acknowledge in a film’s credits the cooperation, approvals, and assistance provided by various entities and individuals over the course of a film’s production.» Smith responded by saying, «Disney’s corporate policy does not appear to care about the human rights issues,» on Twitter.^[86]

Lack of diversity in production team[edit]

There was criticism over having a production team largely composed of people of non-Asian/Chinese descent, such as for the roles of director, costume designer, and screenwriter.^[87]

Disney received some criticism for not hiring an Asian director. In a February 2020 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, director Niki Caro responded to the criticism by saying «Although it’s a critically important Chinese story and it’s set in Chinese culture and history, there is another culture at play here, which is the culture of Disney, and that the director, whoever they were, needed to be able to handle both — and here I am.»^[88] In an August 2020 interview with Film School Rejects, Caro responded further to the criticism, saying «Firstly, I resist the idea that you tell somebody who can tell what story. That sounds a little bit like censorship to me. An artist will express themselves, and the burden of responsibility is on the art. That will be judged — and should be judged. The other side of it is that more diverse people need to be allowed to tell stories. That’s what it comes down to. The people who are hired for all kinds of stories need to be more diverse. It can’t just be white people being hired to make movies, no matter what the subject matter is. Our culture is going to be richer for the more diversity there is, and the art, the movies, the television, it will be better. The more this conversation is being had, the more that diverse artists are given opportunities.»^[89]

Removal of Li Shang[edit]

In a February 27, 2020 interview, film producer Jason T. Reed said that Mulan’s love interest from the original film, Captain Li Shang, was dropped in response to the MeToo movement. In his statement, he explained that «having a commanding officer that is also the sexual love interest was very uncomfortable and we didn’t think it was appropriate».^[90] The reasoning behind the removal was met with social media backlash from fans of the original film and members of the LGBTQ community, who deemed Shang’s relationship with Mulan’s male alter ego Ping to be bisexual.^[91][92] Reed was initially surprised by criticism of Shang’s removal, but acknowledged that the character had become a «LGBTQ icon»,^[93] and clarified that Shang’s role would be served by two new characters, Commander Tung and Chen Honghui.^[91][93]

In September 2020, Cynthia Vinney of CBR wrote that Honghui’s interactions with Mulan were «more homoerotic» than Li Shang’s in the animated version and likewise «can be read as bisexual».^[94] Lauren Puckett of Harper’s Bazaar wrote «Some fans understood and agreed with the #MeToo argument. Others found it offensive, arguing that Shang would never use his commanding position to coerce a woman into romance. He waited until after she was no longer under his command to pursue any sort of romantic relationship. And anyway, it was Mulan who had the crush on him! […] Despite [Honghui’s] attraction, he hardly has the same respect for her that brave and beautiful Li Shang did.»^[95]

[edit]

A call to boycott the film began when Yifei Liu reshared an image posted by the People’s Daily, an official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party. The image included a quote from Chinese reporter Fu Guohao who worked for the state-owned tabloid Global Times and was subsequently assaulted by protesters during the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests: «I support Hong Kong police. You can beat me now. What a shame for Hong Kong.» This sparked international controversy, with Liu being accused of supporting police brutality in Hong Kong. The hashtag #BoycottMulan started trending, which advocated for a boycott of the film.^[96][97][98] In response to the controversy, Liu was not present at the 2019 D23 Expo, despite presenting an exclusive sneak peek of the film to fans.^[99]

Reception[edit]

Premium video on demand[edit]

Variety estimated Mulan would need to be rented by about 8.4 million subscribers (13.8%) in order to break even.^[54] On the weekend of the film’s release, the Disney+ app was downloaded 68% more than the past weeks’ total, similar to the 72% spike upon Hamilton‘s release that July.^[100] Deadline Hollywood reported that industry sources with knowledge of the situation «are figuring that Disney may not have earned great presales» and that they could put Mulan on a third-party service before the December release.^[101] However, following the film’s opening weekend, Business Insider reported it had been viewed by 1.12 million households (only including users renting with TV-connected devices), which would result in $33.5 million in sales for Disney.^[102] Yahoo! Finance then reported that, according to analytics research firm 7Park Data, nearly 29% of U.S. Disney+ subscribers that accessed the app from September 1 to 12 purchased Mulan, which in the best-case scenario would result in $261 million for Disney.^[103] 7Park Data co-founder Brian Lichtenberger stated Yahoo! Finance overestimated Mulan‘s revenue, as their figures were for accounts active during that period and not the total subscriber base, and clarified that 10.3% of all accounts purchased the film, with U.S. revenue estimated to be $62–93 million; Yahoo! Finance amended their article to reflect this.^[104][105]

According to Nielsen ratings, Mulan was one of the top ten most-watched streams in the United States between August 31 and September 6, 2020. During its opening weekend between September 4–6, Mulan drew 525 million streaming minutes in the United States.^[106]

In its first weekend of being available on other digital platforms, Mulan was the top-rented film on FandangoNow, and third on both Apple TV and Google Play.^[107] In its second weekend in the open market, the film placed second at Fandango, fourth on Google Play, and fifth at Apple TV.^[108] In October 2020, The Hollywood Reporter said the film was the most popular PVOD title amid the COVID-19 pandemic,^[109] and the following month Variety reported the film was the sixth-most watched straight-to-streaming title of 2020 up to that point.^[110]

Box office[edit]

Mulan grossed $5.9 million from nine countries in its international opening weekend, including $1.2 million in Thailand and $700,000 in Singapore, both of which were the highest debuts of 2020 in the respective countries. It also made $800,000 in both the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.^[111][112] In its second weekend the film made $29.1 million from 17 countries, including $1.8 million in Russia and finishing first in Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, and South Africa.^[113] Through three weekends the film had grossed $57 million internationally.^[114]

The film made $23.2 million on its opening weekend in China, a low figure but a 23% improvement upon Aladdin‘s debut the year before.^[113] Several factors, such as the film only receiving an official Chinese release date days before, giving little chance to build a strong marketing campaign, the film’s Disney+ digital release resulting in pirated copies online, a lack of local press coverage due to the film being partially shot in the controversial Xinjiang region and to avoid drawing attention to the political controversies surrounding the film, as well as low reception from fans on sites such as Maoyan and Douban, were cited as contributing to the film’s muted performance.^{[113][115][116]} The film fell 72% in its second weekend in the country to $6.5 million.^[114]

Critical response[edit]

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 73% of 322 critic reviews were positive, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The site’s critical consensus read, «It could have told its classic story with greater depth, but the live-action Mulan is a visual marvel that serves as a stirring update to its animated predecessor.»^[117] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100 based on 52 critics, indicating «generally favorable reviews».^[118]

Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three-and-a-half out of four stars, praising the «fine cast, exciting action and spectacular visuals» and writing, «This is such a great-looking film, with amazing set pieces and dazzling action and colors so vibrant they would dazzle a Crayola factory, it will still play well on your home monitor. There are so many gorgeous shades of orange and magenta, blue and yellow, it’s as if we’re seeing these colors for the first time.»^[119] Kate Erbland of IndieWire gave the film a «B+», calling it a «remarkable action epic that carves its own path» and wrote, «Mulan is perhaps the best example of how to marry the original with something fresh. ‘The Ballad of Mulan’ has always been an epic-scale story about the power of being yourself in a world not ready to accept that, a tale that will likely always have resonance.»^[120]

Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B+ and described it as «a classic hero(ine)’s tale, exhilarating in its elaborate set pieces and large-scale ambitions even when the smaller human story within it sometimes falls short.»^[121] Writing for Variety, Peter Debruge said, «On one hand, the result isn’t immediately recognizable as ‘a Disney movie,’ but neither does it establish its own narrative or visual signature, the way Tarantino did when remixing Asian influences for Kill Bill. This is pure pastiche, as Caro and her crew shamelessly pilfer from kung fu, Fifth Generation and Hong Kong action movies, incorporating anime and Bollywood touches as well.»^[122]

Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, «Mulan is a spirit lifter, and though it doesn’t arrive as planned, it could not arrive at a better time», saying «Throughout Mulan, there are shots of such visual splendor that viewers will catch their breath. In one, the morning mist clears and reveals an army in the distance, with its flags and colors, a frightening yet strangely beautiful sight.»^[123] Justin Chang of the Los Angeles Times wrote, «Mulan is a heroic muddle, one that elicits both a disappointed sigh and an appreciative nod. It lays down a marker of progress achieved and progress to come.»^[124]

Aja Romano of Vox wrote, «The Mulan remake jettisons everything great about Disney’s animated classic and delivers nothing new» and «Mulan‘s few bright spots can’t save it from clunky writing».^[125]

Anupama Chopra of Film Companion wrote, «Mulan should have been a much better film. I loved the 1998 animated original. The live action version doesn’t have songs or the sassy, talking dragon Mushu. The beats are predictable and it’s decidedly odd to see Chinese people speaking with American accents. But I’m a sucker for father-daughter stories.»^[126]

Walter Chaw of Film Freak Central gave the film one half out of four stars, writing, «[E]verything about this Mulan is ironic accidentally. Whatever its intentions, its execution and the circumstances of its creation are in opposition to them. It’s a feminist tract that enforces male notions of value; a call to arms that fights for the wrong side of our current history; and a proud statement of national identity that celebrates the Nation of Disney as opposed to China. It’s majestically painful as a representation of how white people view Asians and, yes, it would be different had an Asian person been allowed to direct the film.»^[127]

Grace Wong of the Chicago Tribune wrote, «The animated Mulan meant so much to me, and the character I grew up loving taught me that being loyal, brave and true means standing up for what you believe in, no matter the cost. Today, I believe Mulan would be on the side of the Hong Kong protesters, who also fight to have independence, their voices heard and their lives valued. I hoped to see these threads in the new iteration. Instead we got an almost unrecognisable, twisted reflection of the original.»^[128]

Hamilton College professor Zhuoyi Wang argues that the film «is not, as many believe, just another Disney film suffering from simple artistic inability, cultural insensitivity, or political injustice, but a window into the tension-ridden intersectionality of the gender, sexual, racial, cultural, and political issues that shape the production and reception of today’s cross-cultural films.» «The film made significant compromises between its goals of cultural appropriateness, progressive feminism, and monetary success. Although it eventually failed to satisfactorily resolve these at times conflicting missions, it still achieved important progress in addressing some serious gender and cultural problems in Mulan’s contemporary intertextual metamorphosis, especially those introduced by the Disney animation.»^[129]

In China[edit]

Mulan was poorly received by Chinese critics and audiences. The film scored 4.7 out of 10 on the rating site Douban after its debut.^[130] Reviewers on Douban contended that the film had flat characters and a bland story with details that did not make sense. Many people also appeared unsatisfied with how the film handles certain Chinese cultural elements. One of the more common complaints about the film is its treatment of qi. Qi is a traditional idea in martial arts and Chinese medicine concerning a person’s energy flow. But in Mulan, qi becomes a magical power that the eponymous heroine possesses. That power is limited by dishonesty, keeping Mulan from realizing her full potential until she strips away her disguise as a man. Other Chinese viewers complained about some of the characters’ make-up, saying that it reflects Western stereotypes of China, rather than being a reflection of actual Chinese culture.^[131][132] As of December 2020, it scored 5.0.^[133]

Yanni Chow and Carol Mang of Reuters wrote that the film had «a lacklustre reception in Hong Kong» amidst calls from pro-democracy activists for a boycott.^[116]

Accolades[edit]

Sequel[edit]

In April 2020, it was reported that a Mulan sequel is in development with Chris Bender, Jason T. Reed, and Jake Weiner returning as producers.^[156]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Сделано в Китае

Хуа Мулань — фольклорная героиня, девушка-воин, которая неоднократно появлялась на страницах китайских романов и в местном кинематографе. Мировую популярность сюжету про провинциалку, которая переоделась в мужское платье и отправилась защищать родину от диких племен, принесла американская студийная анимация. Диснеевская версия «Мулан», которая вышла в 1998-м, была сказочным мюзиклом с запоминающимися песнями и новым героем — дракончиком Мушу, волшебным помощником клана Фа (в оригинальном мифе никакого дракона нет). Китайцам такая версия не понравилась: судя по рецензиям, Мулан им показалась слишком некитайской (и внешностью, и манерами), а дракон — неаутентичным.

В новом фильме эти ошибки, очевидно, решили исправить. Китайский рынок для Голливуда второй по значимости после домашнего, сражения за него происходят на высшем уровне. Требования китайской цензуры часто принимаются в расчет при производстве американских блокбастеров, а китайский капитал привлекается для производства (статус копродукции помогает фильму избежать квотирования в китайском прокате). Новая «Мулан» была снята в партнерстве с «Китайской киногруппой» — крупнейшим национальным мейджором, принадлежащим государству — и с прицелом на китайский рынок.

Съемки проходили в степном Синьцзяне. И за это фильм уже критикуют: там давно происходит настоящий, с концлагерями и стерилизацией, геноцид коренных жителей, мусульман-уйгуров. А актриса и поп-звезда Лю Ифэй, которая играет главную роль, во время жестоких уличных столкновений в Гонконге встала на сторону континентальных властей, а не горожан. Но эти нюансы волнуют, скорее, публику США, Тайваня и Гонконга.

Как это снято и что тут нового

Фильм новозеландки Ники Каро («Тренер», «Жена смотрителя зоопарка») будто бы возвращает зрителя к мифологическим истокам сюжета. Линия главной героини расширена эпизодом из ее детства, а сам фильм не апеллирует к анимационной диснеевской версии. Закадровый голос прямо говорит, что это экранизация китайского мифа. В новой «Мулан» никто не поет, да и говорят тут тоже редко. Картинка как с открытки: Мулан в ключевых сценах облачена в ярко-красное кимоно, заснеженные горы буквально слепят глаза, реалистический китайский дворец не менее привлекателен, чем Аграба из недавнего «Аладдина» Гая Ричи. Любовная линия между Мулан и сержантом Цянем сведена к минимуму — в финале Мулан раскрывает, что она женщина, но пресекает все попытки начать романтические отношения.

Так как создатели «Мулан» сразу ориентировались на местный рынок, от фильма ждали настоящего уся — традиционной китайской киносказки со зрелищным кунг-фу, полетами на тросах, беготней по стенам, короче, всего того, что мы видели в «Крадущемся тигре, затаившемся драконе» или костюмно-исторических фильмах Чжан Имоу. Но вышло иначе: фильм построен как традиционный голливудский блокбастер, а от уся остались лишь пара пролетов Мулан, несколько шагов по стенам, сцены строевых тренировок в духе старинных боевиков Чан Че. Об энергии ци, благодаря которой воины в уся и демонстрируют чудеса физподготовки, тут больше разговоров. Мулан ею владеет, но, как женщина, по наказу отца вынуждена скрывать свой дар. В целом экшен в большей степени опирается не на трюки, а на энергичный монтаж (помните «Властелина колец»?).

Впрочем, национального колорита в «Мулани», на западный взгляд, достаточно. Каст тут, естественно, китайский, а в роли императора появляется Джет Ли (он популярен и узнаваем как в Азии, так и в Штатах). Его персонаж — один из немногих сочувствующих положению Мулан. Именно воля императора и обеспечит полное принятие женщины-воительницы обществом. Неслучайно заигрывает фильм и с гендерной путаницей: в принципе двусмысленные отношения переодетой парнем Мулан с Цянем — архетипичная комическая коллизия (взять хоть «В джазе только девушки», хоть «Гусарскую балладу»), но в китайском кино часто появляется линия романтической дружбы между мужчинами. В этом контексте «Мулан» смотрится как современный броманс, а не как древняя комедия ошибок.

Дракона Мушу, который не понравился китайцам в мультфильме, из новой «Мулан» убрали. Его заменили на птицу феникс. Она появляется в моменты самых трудных испытаний как метафора стойкости воительницы. Неслучайно в момент наивысшего подъема Мулан крылья птицы буквально становятся крыльями героини.

А еще тут появился новый персонаж, которого не было в романах и в мультфильме — ведьма Сянь Лан, подручная антагониста Бори Хана. Она своеобразный антипод Мулан — тоже женщина, которая пытается стать независимой, но приходит к трагическому жертвенному финалу.

Вердикт

Конечно, игровая «Мулан» смотрится солиднее и в сто раз эффектнее рисованной. Но большая часть ее новаций — это косметический ремонт, призванный привлечь китайскую публику, а не что-то прорывное. Этапным фильм оказывается не из-за попадания в повестку (главные героини — женщины, а еще это самый дорогой, стоимостью 200 млн долларов, фильм в истории, снятый женщиной-режиссером) или особо выдающихся режиссерских/операторских решений (а ведь оператор Мэнди Уокер до этого снимала «Австралию» и «Между нами горы»), а из-за модели дистрибьюции. На всех территориях, где официально запущен стриминговый сервис Disney+, картина вышла не на больших экранах, а в сети, о чем еще даже в середине пандемии и подумать было невозможно. Если такая схема показа сработает, даже фильмы Marvel могут взять ее на вооружение (мы сможем проверить это уже скоро, когда приблизимся к дате премьеры бесконечно переносившейся «Черной Вдовы»).

В России же «Мулан» вышла в кинотеатрах, куда, если вы уже решили прервать домашнее заточение, можно смело следовать всей семьей. На взрослых во время просмотра явно нахлынет ностальгия (фильм пусть без весельчака Мушу, зато со старичком Ли!), а детям будет интересно наблюдать за развитием истории. Из России, которую мало волнуют детали китайского быта, «Мулан» выглядит не только самым дорогим, но и самым удачным опытом в череде слабоватых диснеевских саморемейков. Наконец-то среди них появилось что-то новое, а ведь достаточно было дать волю фантазии и перестать буквально переснимать предыдущие фильмы!

Но вот завоевать Китай, кажется, не выйдет. Пиратские копии «Мулан» несколько дней назад стали доступны местной публике и ей явно не понравились (средняя оценка фильма сейчас — примерно 5 из 10). Судя по отзывам, зрителям снова не понравилось, как там показаны культурные нюансы,  а особенно их возмутила вольная трактовка концепции энергии ци. Чтобы сосватать китайскому зрителю свою Мулан, компании Disney, похоже, придется самой присоединиться к КНР

Disney только что выпустил фильм «Мулан» на своем потоковом сервисе.  

Фильм режиссера Ники Каро, основанный на китайской легенде, рассказывает историю Хуа Мулан, молодой женщины, которая маскируется под мужчину,  чтобы занять в армии место своего стареющего отца. 

Новый игровой фильм не является покадровым ремейком анимационной картины 1998 года, а это значит, что даже если вы являетесь поклонником оригинального фильма Disney, у вас могут возникнуть вопросы о том, как все закончилось. Давайте разберем грандиозный финал киноленты. 

Мулан защищает Имперский город

Мулан ведет своих соотечественником в Имперский город, который никто не охраняет благодаря могущественному Сяньняну, который захватил канцлера и приказал всем собраться в одном месте. В результате солдаты смогли одолеть остальных злодеев. 

Мулан отправляется на поиски императора, но он ушел, чтобы сразиться с Бери Ханом. Все это происходит также благодаря Сяньняну (канцлеру), которого Мулан находит на императорском троне. 

Видя ее, трудно не предположить, что если бы все пошло по-другому, она сама могла бы сидеть на таком троне и быть императрицей-воительницей. Она определенно более опасна, чем Бери Хан. 

Сяньнян умирает, чтобы спасти Мулан

Мулан и Сяньнян разговаривают в геотермальной долине перед сходом лавины. Мулан ясно показала свое истинное «я», но Сяньнян, тем не менее,  считает невозможным для женщины возглавлять мужскую армию, поскольку она прожила жизнь в изгнании.  

Она говорит Мулан, что никогда не хотела жить жизнью воина, но была вынуждена это сделать из-за того, как к ней относилось общество. Мулан пытается обратиться к доброй стороне Сяньнян, и разговор продолжается на крышах Имперского города. Мы снова видим сцены из детства Мулан, показанные в начале фильма. 

В конце концов Сяньнян находит много общего с Мулан и, кажется сожалеет о своей жизни, и показывает Мулан путь к Бери Хану и Императору. Сяньнян говорит своему бывшему хозяину, что Мулан сделала все возможное: эту армию возглавляет женщина. 

Он отвергает это как невозможное и называет Мулан девушкой, на что Сяньнян поправляет «женщина».   

Когда Бери Хан видит, что его предали, он направляет в Мулан стрелу, используя то, что считается его величайшим умением. На протяжении всего фильма Мулан использовала свою ци, чтобы отражать летящие в нее стрелы. 

Сяньнян должна знать, что навыки стрельбы из лука Бери Хана слишком хороши для нее, поэтому она взлетает, чтобы перехватить стрелу, падающую с неба, обернувшись птицей. Затем она снова превращается в человека, чтобы умереть на руках Мулан, пожертвовав собой ради женщины, которой удалось сделать то, что ей самой было не под силу. Непонятно, почему Бери Хан не пустил в Мулан еще одну стрелу. 

Мулан использует свою ци, чтобы убить Бери Хана 

Мулан сражается с Бери Ханом на бамбуковых лесах над ямами с расплавленной лавой.  К сожалению, Мулан теряет свой (отцовский) меч, который падает в одну из ям и плавится. 

На протяжении всей битвы император побуждает ее использовать ци. В какой-то момент, как в минуты величайших испытаний на протяжении всего фильма, появляется феникс, чтобы помочь героине в ее борьбе. 

Бери Хан и Мулан сражаются на балке, подвешенной на веревке, высоко над землей. В конце концов Мулан перерезает веревку, посылая луч, и Бери Хан падает, что является типичной бескровной и морально безупречной смертью в лучших традициях Disney. 

Мулан быстро запрыгивает на веревку, удерживающую балку и поворачивается в сторону императора. Но, как выясняется, Бори Хан не умер. Он стреляет в императора, но тот использует свою свободную руку и ци, чтобы поймать стрелу. 

Мулан также использует свою ци и перенаправляет стрелу, чтобы убить Бери Хана. Он также пытается поймать стрелу, как мы видели ранее в фильме, но терпит неудачу и умирает. 

Все это приводит к довольно необычной для Disney смерти, когда герой целенаправленно убивает злодея.  

Попадет ли Мулан в беду из-за того, что притворялась мужчиной?

Спасая императора, Мулан воссоединяется со своими товарищами-солдатами, и хотя на мгновение кажется, что Крикет умирает, пораженный множеством стрел, это всего лишь иллюзия. 

Солдату повезло — стрелы попали в его сумку, а сам он всего лишь упал. Мулан, сержант, и их солдаты победили в битве. 

В честь победы проводится грандиозный фестиваль. Красивая женщина ведет Мулан в императорские покои, чтобы показать государю. 

Император благодарит Мулан за все, делает ей комплимент и оказывает ей величайшую честь — предлагает стать офицером императорской гвардии. Однако Мулан отказывается, потому что говорит, что должна помириться с семьей, и это создает неловкую ситуацию, потому что у разговора очень много свидетелей.  

Любовный интерес

Мулан собирается вернуться домой, но солдат Хунхуэй останавливает ее, прежде чем она уходит. Он протягивает ей руку и замечает, что он все еще боится взять ее,  но теперь, когда он узнал ее секрет, кажется, что ситуация изменилась. 

Вместо того, чтобы отказаться от дружбы, Мулан колеблется, потому что теперь это уже романтическое предложение. Она уходит, не взяв его руку, но есть ощущение, что эти двое безумцев снова увидят друг друга. 

Мулан возвращается домой

Мулан приходит домой, и ее сестра, которая заваривает и разливает чай для свахи, сразу начинает подозревать, что у нее тоже есть часть силы ци. Мулан извиняется перед своей семьей, но это счастливое воссоединение. 

Она сожалеет о потере отцовского меча, особенно потому, что теперь она понимает, почему оружие так много значит для него. Он говорит своей дочери, что теперь она воин. 

Их прерывает прибытие Императорской гвардии, в которую теперь входит сержант Цян. Отец Мулан ожидает, что сержант прибыл, чтобы наказать его дочь, и говорит, что военному удастся пройти только через его труп. 

Но сержант Цян уверяет его, что он здесь не для этого. Он приходит с личным подарком для Мулан от императора — новым мечом. Три символа отцовского меча выгравированы на одной стороне лезвия — «верный, храбрый, добрый», а на оборотной стороне имеется символ, обозначающий преданность семье.   

Сержант Цян говорит, что Мулан оказала им честь и повторяет предложение императора о том, чтобы Мулан стала офицером в гвардии императора. Вся деревня поражена этим и тем фактом, что предложение адресовано Мулан. 

Мулан смотрит на новый меч, который она получила и видит в отражении себя в детстве, а также феникса и улыбается. На этом фильм заканчивается, но понятно, что оказав честь своей деревне, своей стране и оставаясь верной себе, Мулан теперь может исполнить свои собственные  желания и примет предложение присоединиться к императорской гвардии и продолжит развивать ци. 

ДАЛЬШЕ: Есть ли в фильме «Мулан» сцена после титров? 

Студия Disney представляет обновлённую версию истории про бесстрашную девушку по имени Мулан. Эта легендарная воительница, о которой было написано в древнекитайской поэме множество столетий назад, получила не один фильм. Режиссёр Ники Каро решила снять своё видение истории, добавив в картину больше боевых действий и кардинально уйдя от сюжета мультипликационного фильма «Мулан» 1998 г.

В фильме играет большая часть китайских актёров — кто-то из них давно известен, кто-то только начинает свой путь в кинематографе. Главную роль в фильме «Мулан» сыграла Лю Ифэй. Она получила эту роль после длительного и тяжёлого кастинга, но сумела убедить создателей, что из неё выйдет прекрасный воин. Кроме Лю Ифэй в фильме снимались Донни Йен, Ци Ма, Джейсон Скотт Ли, Йосон Ан, Рон Юань и другие. Разработкой сценария занималась целая команда — Рик Джаффара, Аманда Сильвер, Лорен Хайнек и Элизабет Мартин. В основу сценария легла эпическая поэма «Баллада о Мулан». 

Мулан не простая девушка. Она рискнула всем, в том числе и жизнью, чтобы отдать долг своей стране вместо пожилого и больного отца,  прославленного воина и героя войны, а также найти себя в этом мире. Благодаря своей смелости и отваге, Мулан стала одним из сильнейших воинов Китайской Империи, которую уважали не только обыкновенные солдаты, но и главнокомандующие.

Мулан пришлось маскироваться под мужчину (она даже имя поменяла на Хуа Цзюн), испытать на себе все тяготы и невзгоды службы в китайской армии, научиться стойкости, мужественности и терпению, проявлять свои лучшие качества в бою и сдерживать слёзы, даже, когда невыносимо тяжело и больно. Эта девушка доказала, что, будучи хрупким и неопытным солдатом, но имея силу воли и цель, можно стать лучшим воином в истории и спасти целую империю практически в одиночку. Мулан станет гордостью не только своего отца, но и народа, который защищала. Даже маскировавшись под мужчину, девушка не забывала, кто она на самом деле, и была верна своим принципам. Через весь фильм проносится идея, что важно быть самим собой даже тогда, когда ты полностью изменился и вышел из зоны комфорта.

В фильме мало классических приёмов студии Disney вроде песен или говорящих зверушек. Тем не менее, магии тут достаточно — колдунья превращается в сокола, волшебная птица феникс летает над полем боя, а воины демонстрируют просто чудеса ловкости. Мулан тоже не обычная девушка — силу, мужество, отвагу и упорство ей придаёт жизненная энергия Ци, которую отец развивал в ней с детства. Только мать Мулан запретила отцу развивать способности в девочке, поскольку это могло обернуться проблемами для их семьи, и девушку бы никто не взял в жёны. Но неукротимое Ци Мулан развивалось самостоятельно, пусть и без наставника, поэтому Мулан так успешно сражалась в боях и защищала своих товарищей. Красивый и роскошный феникс, которого мы видим в фильме, — это своеобразный «патронус» Мулан. Его может видеть только она и то в определённые моменты.

На протяжении всего фильма нам не дают забыть о мече отца Мулан, с которым она рвётся в бой. На мече выгравированы иероглифы: «Верность, Отвага и Честность». Мулан время от времени понимает, что не достойна сражаться этим мечом, поскольку честной она не была с самого начала. После схватки с колдуньей Мулан приходится признаться своему начальнику и всему отряду, что на самом деле она девушка. Такого поворота не ожидал никто…  Мулан могла бы лишиться своей головы, но учитывая заслуги отважной девушки её выгоняют из армии и с позором отправляют домой… Мулан не смогла этого принять и, несмотря на своё изгнание и некое презрение со стороны воинов, она не могла их бросить в беде и отправилась всех спасать с присущей ей энергией Ци, которая стала ещё сильнее. Теперь Мулан точно всем покажет, на что она способна.

«Мулан» — это не просто фильм о девушке-воине, это история, раскрывающая глубину и широту китайской идентичности. Режиссёр умело сочетал в фильме эмоциональные, духовные и эпические моменты. Зритель сможет как восхищаться боевыми сценами, которые продуманы до самых мелочей, так и по-настоящему сопереживать персонажам фильма и конечно же главной героине Мулан. Этот фильм учит общечеловеческим ценностям: любви к родине, семье, уважению к старшим, чувству долга и собственного достоинства.

Исполнительный продюсер Билл Конг считает, что в Мулан современные девушки могут увидеть себя, несмотря на то, что история была написана много веков назад. Многим будет близки душевные метания и борьба Мулан, и дело здесь не только в том, что она не знает, как исполнить свой долг, но и как правильно поступить в той или иной ситуации. Мулан рассматривает свои проблемы под разным углом, не спешит принимать серьёзные решения и трезво смотрит на многие вещи — этому у неё можно поучиться.

Продюсер фильма, Крис Бендер, говорит, что в картине был сделан упор не на юмор и любовную историю, как это было в одноимённом мультфильме, а на внутреннем пути Мулан. В то время, когда жила девушка, женщин приговаривали к смертной казни за попытку обманом поступить на военную службу. Мулан не испугал даже этот факт, что говорит о том, какая смелая, решительная и эмоционально зрелая личность была спрятана в этой юной и хрупкой девушке.

Исполнительница главной роли, Лю Ифэй, сумела передать характер своей героини. Она стойко держалась, даже когда ей было очень страшно. На её лице не дрогнул ни один мускул, когда она боялась, что обнаружат её обман. Она ни на минуту не сомневалась, что сделала правильный выбор, ведь иначе как бы семья пережила потерю отца, отправься он на службу. Более того, Лю мастерски владеет различными видами боевого искусства, от чего создатели фильма были просто в восторге… Когда Лю предложили сыграть роль Мулан, она была вне себя от счастья. Для неё, можно сказать, сбылась мечта детства. Лю также восхитила Ники Каро, которая с почтением отнеслась к китайской культуре, сохранила дань традициям и не стала наворачивать голливудские приёмы, которые могли бы испортить картину.

Несмотря на то что фильм кардинально отличается от мультфильма, создатели решились сохранить волшебство. Ведь это история Диснея, как не сделать её сказочной и красивой? Тем более что реальная история Мулан очень жестокая, трагичная и суровая, что не вписывается в рамки студии. В противном случае фильмы бы имел рейтинг 18+, а у взрослых, которые видели и любят мультик, произошёл бы когнитивный диссонанс и ярое отторжение фильма. Сказка должна оставаться сказкой: доброй, волшебной и загадочной. Поэтому в фильме присутствует и юмор, и любовь, и чудо, ну и боевые сцены — без них никуда. Отсутствует только Мушу — верный дракончик, которого многие желали увидеть в новом фильме. Кого-то этот факт непременно расстроит, а кого-то, наоборот, порадует. Всё дело в том, как вы относитесь к Мушу и к их с Мулан диалогам…

У создателей фильма получилось совместить китайскую культуру с культурой Disney, максимально раскрыв обе и проявив к ним уважение. Режиссёр картины, Ники Каро, не хотела делать ремейк мультфильма и полностью воссоздавать его, она хотела рассказать свою историю виденья «Мулан», вложить в неё качества, которые увидела в реальном персонаже. Фильм нисколько не тяжёлый, как это могло показаться после просмотра трейлера. В нём присутствует живой и лёгкий юмор, поэтому не нужно воспринимать новый фильм как исключительно эпичную историю о войне. Эта история разбавлена забавными персонажами и моментами, поэтому смотрится легко и непринуждённо.

Генерал Туна

Донни Йен сыграл Генерала Туна — главнокомандующего батальоном, в котором служила Мулан. Актёр решил присоединиться к фильму после того, как его дочь посмотрела мультик Мулан около 100 раз. Донни ничего не оставалось, как показать дочери, насколько ему важны её интересы. Генерал Тун играет важную роль в фильме — он является наставником Мулан, её идейным вдохновителем и человеком, на которого можно равняться. Он с теплотой относится к девушке и даже местами по-отечески проявляет заботу. Возможно, он чувствовал, что под маской воина скрывается хрупкая девушка, которой очень страшно нарушать закон, но которая не могла поступить по-другому.

Бори-хан и колдунья

Главного антагониста картины, Бори-хана, исполнил актёр Джейсон Скотт Ли. Причём Ники Каро долго сомневалась, что он сможет сыграть отъявленного злодея — настолько он показался режиссёру мягким, скромным и добрым. Но Джейсон потрясающий актёр, поэтому после гримирования и переодевания он сумел войти в роль настолько, что Ники никого больше не видела в образе Бори-хана, кроме Джейсона. Действительно, актёр был великолепен — его ухмылки, колкости, уловки, поведение — всё это передавало его внутреннюю силу и ненависть к окружающим его людям, в частности, к Императору Китая.

Режиссёр Ники Каро

Ники Каро и съёмочная группа хотели, чтобы фильм получился максимально реалистичным и эпичным, поэтому большая часть локаций проходили в реальной атмосфере, а не в павильонах. Пришлось много путешествовать по Китаю и Новой Зеландии, чтобы запечатлеть его невероятные пейзажи, которые невозможно создать с помощью компьютерной графики. Благодаря этой особенности фильм действительно выглядит очень красиво и реалистично. Съёмки «Мулан» происходили на 20 локациях в Китае, однако огромная территория страны не позволяла снять там весь фильм, поэтому часть локаций была отснята в Новой Зеландии, которая также славится своими невероятно красивыми и живописными пейзажами.

Отдельное внимание хочется уделить костюмам и декорациям в фильме. Костюмерам и декораторам удалось мастерски воссоздать время, в котором жила Мулан. Нет ни единого сомнения, что мы находимся в Китае, много веков назад — все было настолько детально проработано и поставлено. Через фильм мы переносимся в Китайскую Империю, смотрим на оружие того времени, на предметы быта и интерьера, мебель, декор и убранство комнат. Прекрасная визуализация картины и пейзажи средневекового Китая подкрепляются аутентичной музыкой.

Фильм «Мулан» — это совершенно новая история, где создатели пусть и сохранили дух мультфильма, но сделали его более реалистичным, захватывающим, эпичным и воинственным. Характер Мулан здесь тоже раскрывается более полно, чем в мультфильме, тем более там её с толку постоянно сбивали говорящие животные. В фильме этого нет, поэтому Мулан смогла сосредоточиться на своих переживаниях, мыслях, действиях и анализировать каждый свой шаг. Фильм придётся по вкусу как детям, так и взрослым, правда, последним он будет куда более интересен. Это один из тех фильмов, на которые не жалко потратить время и который обязательно нужно посмотреть на большом экране — боевые действия, пейзажи, декорации — всё это захватывает дух!

Смотрите в кинотетрах с 10 сентября. 

Источник фото: Disney

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