Psychology of a Hero: MULAN

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I love how "A Girl Worth Fighting For" ends promptly on the sight of a destroyed village and a little girl's doll, saying that the real "girl worth fighting for" is the one that gets to grow up in a world free of war.

One thing I didn't notice in the movie until recently: in "Honor To Us All" they sing about how having 'a tiny waist' will make Mulan more appealing (as they practically corset her into a waist wrap), and then the matchmaker takes one look at her and tells her she's too skinny. So even when she was trying to meet society's expectations, she still had to deal with impossible and sometimes contradictory standards. It's subtle, but it's there.

In Fa Zhou's defense, he couldn't just say "Hey, don't talk to my daughter like that." He was getting an official conscription notice from Hi Fu, the Emperor's Counsel and a high-ranking military official. If he had stood up for her in that manner, they probably would've killed him for sure, and possibly his whole family for disrespecting the Emperor so much. He did everything he could in that situation and by telling Mulan she dishonored him(which was true because of society and her actions, not him personally but his position as family Patriarch), he at least placated them so the family would be left alone. Context is important.

"Why does this music give me chills" Because it's properly communicating that Mulan is making a difficult choice, that she knows is the right thing to do, but also knows it's seriously risky and could end extremely badly for herself AND her family. It's not a purely empowering melody, it's got that extra flare of anxiety/fear that really adds depth to Mulan's decision.

"The flower that blooms in adversity is the most beautiful and rare" was my senior quote

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" "Would you like to stay forever?" - I love granny Fa

I saw the last scene a little differently. He did look at the sword and the crest... he looked at them sadly instead of meeting her eye immediately. It was like he didn't know what they were supposed to mean to him, and then he looks at her and sees that she thought this what was necessary to bring the family honor. There's a little bit of sadness and remorse in him as she hands him the gifts. When he hugs her, he goes to her instead of pulling her to him. That hug was as much an apology as it was telling her that he sees her worth as she is.

I love the double meaning in the line "Men will surely go to war for you," in "Honor to Us All". By the end of the movie, the men aren't going to war for her to gain her affection. They're going to war for her as her comrades.

A thing I love about this movie is when Mulan confronts the villain, he's not surprised/angry that she's a woman, he's surprised that she's the soldier from the mountain. Historically, among the Huns, women were renowned warriors.

I dont know if you guys didn't notice or just didn't want to talk about it or it was super obvious, but the sequence of mulan getting ready to take her dad's place is a parallel to her getting ready for the matchmaker. Getting her hair ready, tying a sash around her waist, her reflection in a mirror and in the sword. She's getting ready to do battle both times and I really love that little bit of detail

As a kid one of my favorite scenes was Mulans second encounter with Shan Yu. He never outright ever calls her a woman, or even makes a note, he simply calls her "The soldier from the mountain!", he's angry, mad, furious but shows a hint of glee that he would be able to end her wit and skill without ever mentioning her gender. Everyone learns to recognize Mulan's abilities and how she as a woman could perform just as well as a man. But Shan Yu our wonderful antagonist never had any hesitation about it. He saw her put her hair up, recognized and when straight to "I'm gonna end this warrior's life."

Mulan at it's core is a movie about accepting yourself for who you are and your own strengths. You might not fit in with the stereotypes or status quo for societal expectations, but that doesn't make you any lesser. It just means you are different, and your difference is what makes you truly strong. In a sea of mediocrity, the creative, clever and ingenious will be respected.

Fun fact: In the chinese original Mulans surname is Hua, so when she introduces herself to Shang as Ping she says ''my name is Hua Ping'' which translates to Flower Vase and that's why shang is so bewildered because it's a silly name.

What i love about Mulan was, she was almost feel like a regular girl rather than princess, being considered not enough for the standard of being an "ideal" was pretty hitting close to home. Her journey from a whole carefree girl who doesn't took herself seriously to actually show she wants to try and in the end, brought honor ( to us all ) for herself. Until this day, she still is my favorite Disney princess.

My 2D Effects professor, Troy Gustafson, worked on many of the swirly smoke effects in this film and even helped establish its signature style. His scenes included when Mushu was introduced, anytime incense was present, and most likely that fireworks explosion at the end. Professor Troy dressed like a cowboy, had that "grumpy old man" kind of personality, and wore a black trenchcoat in the winter. He was one of those tough teachers that was hard to pass the class for, but he believed in us all, and he never stopped believing even after we all graduated. I don't think he ever stopped believing even right up to passing away a few years ago. Alan, it means a lot to hear you getting a burst of unbridled joy out of that fireworks explosion, and how much you both appreciate the subtle details that often go unnoticed. Every time I see those smoke effects in Mulan, I'm always on the brink of uncontrollably crying. He may be just a name in the credits, but he meant a lot to us. Miss you forever, Professor Troy. 💙

What I love about this that does not get enough credit, is that Mulan's arc is similar to the other character's arcs to a different degree. Mushu is trying to show the other spirits he is also capable and he also deserves his spot, Sheng is trying to prove he is like his father and capable of leading... They all have a similar arc and it is amazing to see it all culminating with Mulan.

Jono: "We all have worth." Alan: "Sure!" Jono: "Even the Cricket." Alan: "No."

Fun fan theory I've seen with this movie: the reason that Mushu couldn't wake the Great Stone Dragon is because it had already awakened and was in Mulan.

Why doesn't anyone ever talk about how Mulan had the opportunity to go back with no consequences, and while she felt her weakest. Instead, she wanted to overcome her weaknesses, and be a part of something, and probably most of all, just prove she could do it. It's epic.