Mulan Movie

 I watched the new Mulan movie today and loved it.  I watched it without sound so I wouldn't bother G who was attending class across the desk from me.  I look forward to watching it with sound with the kids tonight.

There is so much fantastical martial arts in the movie and I was reminded of Shaolin Soccer.  I went up to the library and picked that up so they can enjoy the cultural background of some of the moves in Mulan.

I look forward to my children getting to see a movie with all Chinese faces.  The writers of the movie were not Chinese so there are some things that may deviate from Chinese culture.  A lot of articles criticize the movie for being different from the animated classic.  Seriously?  Did they say those complaints about Maleficent or Ever After?  I think the representation in the movie far outweighs complaints that it isn't true to the animated classic, which is not true to the Chinese story of Mulan.  Sheesh. 

It's awesome.

I loved the movie so much I wanted to geek with other people who loved it too.  I didn't find any articles that were positive.  One article's complaint of the movie was that the animated classic showed a story of an ordinary girl who was able to do extraordinary things.  And guess what, it does take an extraordinary girl to accomplish physical tasks on par with any man.  As a woman of unusual size and strength, I know this.  The new movie shows an extraordinary girl who is forced to hide her talents and even when finally embracing them is rejected.  I loved that the witch in the new movie is told "It is never too late to take the honorable path." That was awesome!

Ballad of Mulan

Mural of Hua Mulan enlisting in the Dalongdong Baoan Temple of Taipei, Taiwan.

Mulan sighs at her loom.^[13][14] The Khagan is mobilizing the military, and her father is named in each of the conscription notices from the emperor. Her father is old and her younger brother is just a child, so she decides to take her father's place. She buys a fine horse from the eastern market, saddle and stirrup from the western market, bridle and reins from the southern market and a long whip from the northern market.

She bids farewell to her parents in the morning and leaves for the Black Mountain, encamping by the Yellow River in the evening, where she cannot hear the calls of her parents due to the rushing waters; only the sounds of the barbarians' cavalry in the Yan Mountains. She advances ten thousand li to battle as if flying past the mountains. The sound of the sentry gong cuts through the cold night air, and the moonlight reflects off her metal armor. A hundred battles take place, and generals die.

After the ten-year campaign, the stout veterans return to meet the Son of Heaven, enthroned in the splendid palace, who confers promotions in rank and prizes of hundreds of thousands. He asks Mulan what she would like. Mulan turns down the high-ranking position of shangshulang in the central government, and asks only for a speedy steed to take her home.

Her parents, upon hearing her return, welcome her outside their hometown. Her elder sister puts on her fine dress. Her younger brother sharpens the knife for the swine and sheep. Mulan returns to her room, changes from her tabard into her old clothes. She combs her hair by the window and, before the mirror, fastens golden yellow flowers. Her comrades are shocked to see her. For 12 years of their enlistment together, they did not realize that she was a woman.

In response, Mulan offers a metaphor: "The male hare has heavy front paws. The female hare tends to squint. But when they are running side-by-side close to the ground, who can tell me which is male or female?"^[15][16]