Another thing I like about this movie: there’s romance, but it’s not the point of the movie. We don’t end on her scoring a kiss with him; we end with a celebration of her awesomeness.
I don’t actually know much about the various animators in this movie-just Mark Henn.
This is such a strange movie-one of the best feminist-wise, I think, and with a lot of my favorite plot points, but it never struck me as one of the more popular movies. (That top ten list I linked that one time lists it as one of the top ten Disney animated movies-yet Mulan seems strangely underrepresented when it comes to the franchise. Maybe because she doesn’t have a ballgown?) It’s very subtle-kind of a musical, but not in the same sense as TLM or BATB. Kind of an adventure? I don’t know. I wouldn’t even necessarily call it one of my favorites, though I think it’s one of their best movies.
Good point about the cultural limitations! I can't actually think of any Disney movies where they should have cultural limitations and don't, however. Can you
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Okay, so I don't actually have anything to say in response to your last comment, but today while I was working on the Bechdel test and thinking about Brave and how very often movies with female protagonists aren't just good stories; they are stories about being a girl.
Not so with Mulan! I mean, it's a little bit about being a girl, but it occurred to me today that ultimately being (or in a few cases appearing to be) a girl gave them the power to infiltrate the palace. Not just being/looking like a girl, but looking like pretty, well-dressed girls! That is the kind of within-cultural-limitations craftiness that I like!
I think we're seeing the Smurfette principle on a larger scale. You know how in movies or TV shows with token females, you get a wide variety of boys? You get the smart guy, the tough guy, the silly guy, the ethnic guy, and the girl. Whose character trait is that she is a girl. Seems like we're getting that in movie form with these 'girl movies'. You can have smart boy movies and action boy movies and silly boy movies and sweet boy movies, but most girl movies are just girl movies.
I may have more to say on the topic, but I think it's just about video games with female protagonists.
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I don’t actually know much about the various animators in this movie-just Mark Henn.
This is such a strange movie-one of the best feminist-wise, I think, and with a lot of my favorite plot points, but it never struck me as one of the more popular movies. (That top ten list I linked that one time lists it as one of the top ten Disney animated movies-yet Mulan seems strangely underrepresented when it comes to the franchise. Maybe because she doesn’t have a ballgown?) It’s very subtle-kind of a musical, but not in the same sense as TLM or BATB. Kind of an adventure? I don’t know. I wouldn’t even necessarily call it one of my favorites, though I think it’s one of their best movies.
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Not so with Mulan! I mean, it's a little bit about being a girl, but it occurred to me today that ultimately being (or in a few cases appearing to be) a girl gave them the power to infiltrate the palace. Not just being/looking like a girl, but looking like pretty, well-dressed girls! That is the kind of within-cultural-limitations craftiness that I like!
Reply
I think we're seeing the Smurfette principle on a larger scale. You know how in movies or TV shows with token females, you get a wide variety of boys? You get the smart guy, the tough guy, the silly guy, the ethnic guy, and the girl. Whose character trait is that she is a girl. Seems like we're getting that in movie form with these 'girl movies'. You can have smart boy movies and action boy movies and silly boy movies and sweet boy movies, but most girl movies are just girl movies.
I may have more to say on the topic, but I think it's just about video games with female protagonists.
Reply
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