The Girl Named Mulan
It was a weekend when I first watched Mulan. Together with the whole family, we watched the film on DVD just to have some quiet times with the kids. We know that they had seen Mulan before but they want to watch it again and since only in front of a movie is the only time they chose to keep quiet, we allowed them to watch it again.The adults have nothing to do, so we just made ourselves comfortable on the sala and watch the movie with the kids. I had wanted to see Mulan because I know Disney used Lea Salonga for the singing part of Fa Mulan, and I adore Lea Salonga's singing.
The movie started with Mulan waking up late for an appointment with the matchmaker. Since she is the only child of her family, she is expected to bring honor to her family. Unfortunately, she is mischievous and bring constant worries and dishonor to her family, as she is somewhat of a tomboy - boyish in her actions and not the refined type that most Chinese families prefer in those times.
When the Huns invade China, a man from every family is ordered to fight. Eventhough he is old and cannot walk properly, Mulan's father decided to fight for his country and for the honor of his family. This decision is against the family's wishes for they know that the father will not be able to survive a battle anymore because of his disability. Still the father is firm on his decision.Mulan then decides that she is going to fight in his father's stead, without the knowledge of the family. Wearing a man's clothing, Mulan left riding on his father's horse after praying to her ancestors for guidance and protection. The ancestors heard her prayers and sent a dishonored little dragon named Mushu to aid her.
After surviving the training with her newfound friends, Mulan is then ready to fight. By then, the Huns had defeated the regular army. So it is now the duty of the neophytes like Mulan to save China. After being pursued by the enemy, Mulan came up with an idea that would surely show the real her. She decides to risk everything in order to save China. When Mulan saved the entire fighting forces, it was then when she was discovered to be a girl in the guise of a man. Instead of punishing her, she was sent away to a faraway place to die. In the end, she was given a medal for bravery by the Emperor himself. In addition to that, the commander of the army whom she had fallen in love with while disguising as a loyal soldier to the emperor, was also attracted to her and falls in love with her in the end.
What I like about Mulan is that she speaks her mind, even if it is not allowed in their culture. She is not like the other girls who waste their time thinking about their prince charming. When she decided to fight in place of her father, it is not because she is a hardheaded girl. She chose to fight because she loves her father very much and do not wish for harm to come his way. I was happy to see a strong female character surviving because of her own integrity and strength instead of her looks. Mulan tells the viewers to overcome gender stereotyping and that women can also do the same things that men do.
