The Controversies Surrounding Mulan

Mulan (2020), directed by Niki Caro, is a live-action adaptation of the Chinese folklore, The Ballad of Mulan, which follows Mulan’s journey serving the Imperial Army in place of her father. The developments for the movie began in 2015 and was set to premiere on March 9, 2020; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the debut was postponed until September 4, 2020, where it was released on Disney+ for a fee of $30.

Some controversies are causing heated debates surrounding the film. The main two being the public display of support for the Chinese police in Hong-Kong by the main actress, Liu Yifei, and the second being the end-credits thanking the Xinjiang area, which is known for having internment camps.

The lead actress and main star of the film, Liu Yifei, publicly voiced her support for China by reposting a pro-police comment on Weibo, a Chinese-monitored social networking app. The post contained an excerpt from the People’s Daily, a government-run Beijing-based newspaper, stating, “I also support Hong Kong police. You can beat me up now.” Although she gained mass support on Weibo, it was a completely different reaction on Twitter, which is banned in China. The #BoycottMulan started circulating on the front pages of Twitter, promoted by pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, Thailand, and Taiwan. Alongside the trending hashtag movement, many celebrities also expressed their disappointment towards the actress.

The second controversy concerns the end credits. Disney includes a thank you message to the CPC Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Committee. The Xinjiang area is infamous for enforcing the Uighur Muslim concentration camps. These internment camps host millions and millions of Uighur Muslims, where they are put under cruel and inhumane treatment under the disguise of voluntary training programs. Seeing the collaboration between Disney and the Xinjiang officials is extremely concerning as it shows that Disney is actively ignoring human rights nor the repercussions of working with them.

Although there is controversy concerning the film, there are still plenty of critics praising the film for not being an exact frame-for-frame copy of the animated film, unlike the Lion King (2019) and Aladdin (2019) remakes. It also comprises an all-Asian cast, showing cultural representation. Lastly, it portrays a strong female heroine.

Contact Aashna Singh at s.aashna20 ‘at’ gmail (dot) com