The animated film Mulan, released in
1998 by Disney, centers around a young Chinese girl who saves her father from
being drafted into the army by taking the guise of a young man. The children’s
film is based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, a girl who also takes her
father’s place in the army and goes to war for her country. A striking
difference between the legend and the film, however, is that iterations of the
folktale illustrate that Hua Mulan never claimed to be man; she went to war as
a woman because she got bored of weaving, was victorious, and then returned
home to continue weaving. Alternatively, Disney’s film focuses on a young girl
who doesn’t fit in with her environment and is uncomfortable with the
activities prescribed to her gender by her culture. Viewers follow Mulan and
witness her question the masculine and female binary as she consistently performs
somewhere in between the spectrum. A queer theory reading of Mulan shows how
the film is capable of challenging the cultural notions of masculine and
feminine and implicates the limitations of gender roles.
The very beginning of the film
introduces the customs and pageantry surrounded with becoming the ideal bride
which establishes a role for women in society to the viewer. During the song “Honor
To Us All,” Mulan is bathed, clothed, and painted with white makeup, rouge, and
lip colour to show the elaborate process women must go through to be considered
in good taste and desirable. Throughout the song, Mulan looks uncomfortable and
lost as her elders continue to groom her making her appear more feminine and
passive. When Mulan sees her reflection in the hand mirror presented to her,
she is visibly shaken because she does not recognize the woman she sees in the
mirror as being her. The makeup and clothes she is dressed in act as a metaphor
for the mask she wears to hide her true identity. This instance contributes to
our knowledge of queer work because it is akin to the roles people must perform
when they do not fall into the category of gender roles or sexual identity. External
expectations complicate the ability for individuals to self-actualize as is
clear with Mulan. Ultimately, Mulan is acting to “keep [her] father standing
tall” and bring honour to her family.
After being rejected by the matchmaker
and disappointing her family, Mulan sings the song “Reflection” in which she laments
her inability to be who she truly is. The sentiments she expresses are those
longing to “show the world what’s inside [her] heart” and to escape “a world
where [she has] to hide [her] heart and what [she] believe[s] in.” The imagery
used in “Reflection” shows half of Mulan’s face without makeup (masculinity)
and the other half painted (femininity) to show the binary opposition existing
on the spectrum; queer theory works to break down these opposites. The lyrics
of the song coupled with the image of Mulan’s face offer a look into the struggle
of those who identify as genderqueer often endure because it shows conflict in
coming to terms with one’s own identity. This process is made more complex when
one identifies contrary to the expectations of society. More often than not,
these individuals are met with judgement and vehement opposition. This is
especially true in Mulan’s case where the punishment for a woman impersonating
a man in the army is death.
The film explores other areas of
queer theory such as homosocial behavior. When Mulan assumes the role of Ping,
she develops an intimate but non-sexual relationship with General Li Shang whom
she saves from death at the film’s climax. The initial relationship between
both Shang and Ping at the training camp is one of tension. In many cases the tension
is homoerotic, especially when a shirtless Shang stares at Ping. A queer theory
reading likely would attribute this tension to the problematics of sexuality or
sexual identity. Sheng’s song “I’ll Make A Man Out Of You” indicate he
subscribes to heteronormative culture. His attraction to Ping conflicts with
his heterosexual/hyper-masculine self-schema. As the film progresses, Shang
grows closer to Ping. After Ping is revealed to be Mulan, a woman, Sheng is
disgusted with himself and with the deception, realizing his sexuality may not
be as clear-cut as he had once thought. At the end of the film, Sheng and Mulan
are suggested to be romantically involved after she returns to life as a woman.
This example illustrates that Sheng was appealed to by the masculine qualities
of Ping/Mulan and continued to pursue Mulan in spite of this. This situation
presented by the movie may serve as an effective example of a deconstruction of
rigid binaries that society has constructed for women/men and homosexuals/heterosexuals
that are a focus of queer theory.
Other instances in the film such as
the communal male bath, the “effeminate” male advisor to the emperor, and male
warriors in drag promote themes that question what gender roles and human sexuality
serve as a whole. Offered here is a taste of how these themes are initially explored
in Disney’s Mulan. Upon closer
examination of these other situations, a more complex look into queer theory can
be obtained. Furthermore, this film can offer the opportunity to discuss the
issue of “gender is performance” and transgendered identity. It is under these
lenses one can learn how a person can have multiple identities rather than be
limited to categorization. As a children’s film under this light, Mulan has the
potential to facilitate an appropriate discussion and education about acceptance
and diversity at a young age.
Song Lyrics: Mulan, www.fpx.de/fp/Disney/Lyrics/Mulan.html.
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