Analysis of Mulan’s Poor Reception in China from the Perspective of Orientalism

Abstract

The undesirable reception of Disney’s Mulan (2020) is attributable to complicated factors. This paper combs Hua Mulan’s images in Chinese literary and visual discourses, and confirms her as a virtuous epitome and a national heroine in Chinese mainstream culture, whereas in Mulan, she is portrayed as a warrior with magic “qi” and homosexual orientation, representing modern feminists’ pursuits for gender recognition and equality. Besides, the assertive collage of Chinese cultural elements severely impairs the authenticity of her story. Superficially, the arbitrary appropriation of Chinese culture causes the poor reception of the movie, which, however, if situated within the framework of Orientalism with a lineal examination of the Chinese-culture-related Hollywood movies, more underlying causes, ideological, political and commercial, can be uncovered. The film’s failure bespeaks the predicament confronted by contemporary Hollywood film industry. If Hollywood film producers want to reap lucrative gains from the booming Chinese film market, they should rectify their outdated condescending attitudes and do more in updating their production concepts, innovation, empathy and cooperation. This paper may be of significance as a reference to the practice and study of film adaptation, production and marketing across cultures.