Ep 05: Mulan in the 21st century
“If ‘Mulan’ doesn’t work in China, we have a problem”
Alan F. Horn, co-chairman of Walt Disney Studios
Today we look at one of the most beloved Chinese fictional/historical characters in the world: Mulan. I know that many are already familiar with Mulan’s story through Disney’s interpretation: while the Mulan princess/warrior is not 100% the same with the historical Mulan depicted in its original historical text/poem, I would say the essential character, plot, point of view, setting and theme are all honest depiction of her. There’s much that’s been written already about Mulan and her story, so today I want to talk about her as a character in the 21st century, as both a character that inspires imagination, but also a character that generates revenue. Today we talk about Mulan, Disney, and their relationship with the Chinese market.
The five years and 200 million spent in the making of live action spectacle movie Mulan may not be significantly higher than the average cost of making live action versions of classic cartoons for Disney in recent years, yet the making of Mulan and how it has been received has not only business implications but also specific policy implications for Disney. It is worth taking a closer look at how different aspects of Mulan’s production and reception shows Disney’s current and potential future attitude towards arguably its most important audience and market group: the Chinese market. Specifically, today’s podcast I want to examine Disney’s choice in filming part of the film in Xinjiang (where many suspect local Uyghur people are put into re-education camps and forced to follow guidelines and education under Chinese Communist Party) and also deliberately staying silent when questioned and not naming the region in their credits, which has received global backlashes.
With a closer look at how Mulan is received, I argue that the often quoted “cultural differences in taste” is a surface level concealment of deeper differences in legal environments, macroeconomic and sociopolitical conditions between U.S. and China. Fundamentally what determines the earnings for Disney’s productions (for Mulan and other products) is opinions. Opinion in a liberal democracy not only reflects what is implicit in people’s mores, culture and background practices but also delineates a thought pattern that is not to be refuted. One can have different opinions on Disney movies, however, if a movie’s making touches on certain deep ideological lines, (in this case, Chinese government agency accused of human rights abuses in Xinjiang for its help in making "Mulan") then the sides are set and an individual falls into crippling ostracism if he/she is not in line with the prevalent sentiment. To support Mulan will be in a way supporting the political forces behind it, so there is a pressure over the soul in a manner immensely more powerful than mere physical coercion for the audience to say no to this version of Mulan, and for people to question future collaboration between Disney and China. As the New York Times wisely points out “the mixed reception for “Mulan” in China underscores the enduring challenge that Hollywood faces in trying to make films about Chinese stories that have both broad appeal and the ability to captivate moviegoers in China, its most important overseas market”…