#1 Mullan — movie review
Hello! and welcome back to my blog site! Lately, at our university, we have this session called “Movie review”. Where we would enjoy a different genre of movies and would write our reviews! every Saturdays
I taught, why not share them with you all? The first movie that was put in front of us was “Mullan”. If you have not watched it and seeing some reviews, here’s it. If you already have watched it, then correct me if I am wrong or comment your review down in the comment session too. I would love to hear them all. So lets go!
Overview:
Mulan was a fictional story about a beautiful young woman, who disguises herself as a male and joins the imperial army instead of her sick dad who has been forced to enlist himself as he does not have male heirs.
This storyline shows us the culture and heritage they follow in those good olden days in China, most importantly the pride that each of the women holds.
This story features “Phoenix” — a bird that is believed to reborn from ashes. Here this bird is exclaimed as the “Power “Sun” “Strength” that everyone wishes to have. Sits on the right hand of the king and brings good fortune to the kingdom. They believed that every woman in that country is equal to a phoenix, who brings prosperity and adds beauty to their family.
As we carry on with the storyline, we could see how ladies were prepared to be “Matched” (Married) and need to pass “Tea lessons” from the matchmaker To get matched.
However, Mulan stood different from another woman, and identifies her real power, and leads the whole warriors.
Review:
When this movie starts, we could enjoy the taste of imperial days. And we could see how playful, string, and naughty our Mulan is. She was different from other women in both heart and strength. Every time she did something and gets herself into trouble, her wit and on-the-spot action give a hand. Her dad was always alarmed about her daughter for being different from the society they live in, he used to cautious about everything around his daughter.
One day while Mulan was chasing a hen, she, unfortunately, broke a phoenix statue. It was at that moment her dad told her the importance that the phoenix holds.
When Mulan grew up, as like any other woman her mom arranged a matchmaker, for her to get matched with a young, brave man.
But God had different plans.
Their country was invaded by northern invaders, their leader “Bori khan” fights alongside a witch. Every family was asked to enlist their male heirs (At least 1). As Mulan’s family does not have any male heir her father forced himself and got enlisted.
Mulan’s dad had already undergone a war, where he lost his legs, she can’t escape the phrase her mom said the previous night before her dad went to the training “We should be strong, because we know he won’t return this time”. That night Mulan decided to take the sword for her dad and her family.
She suited herself into a decent and powerful young man, and went in — Her identity was completely changed, now she was recognized as a potentially brave and strong young man warrior.
The rest of the film shows us all the hardship that she endures while in training, and how she finds herself once again and makes people regain their memory on why women are compared to phoenix.
Stereotype’s Mulan broke:
1. Women are not physically strong.
A stereotype that rules over a decade in our society. Women are considered to give mental comfort when their families are in agony as women are mentally strong and men are physically strong.
In a scene where the commander ordered the warriors to lift 2 buckets of water and walk towards the cliff of a mountain, everyone failed but Mulan. This shows how physically and mentally strong a woman can be.
2. Women are the enemy of women
It is true that women are the enemy of women, for they say “Women dress not to attract men but to irritate other women.
If women stop gossiping at the back of other people and start praising each other and encouraging for what others have, there would be no middlemen called “Jealously”
I will say “Jealously” is what makes us take behind other people, the incapability of what “she” can do that “I” cannot do.
Mulan shows us how supportive women should be to another woman. There was a 100 percent of chance for the witch to be jealous of Mulan for she has been accepted by society and now she leads the army, but she chooses not to. That’s where Mulan won, along with the witch.
3. Women does not need to hold a weapon
They refuse to give weapons to women, cause they think what she is gonna do with it anyway?. That stereotype was broken harder in this movie.
4. People won’t accept you for who you are
A scene in Mulan where she throws away all the garments she used to hide her real identity and return as “Her own self” after meeting the witch, teaches us how “we” wear our uncomfortable mask to hide our real self and how nice it would be to fight with our image.
People wear different masks “happy” “sad” “funny” “lovely” “sweet” Just to get attention from other society and sometimes for them to not find your real self. But at the end of the day, you will understand all this attention means nothing if they are not for your real self.
People wot accept who you are until and unless you accept who you are.
5. Muscle is enough for war
Yes of course, if you have good muscles that means you can be a good warrior, but not a warrior who could lead the army.
The method they used to train their warriors in this movie completely shows how each of the warriors is required to develop self-discipline, confidence, and love, and be selfless.
Mulan, again and again, proves “Success” doesn’t rely on muscles you have but the wisdom.
If I had missed any points please do let me know with your comments below!. And don't forget to follow me on medium because I post twice every week about a lot of interesting stuff!
What would be next on my movie review series?
