The film I have annotated is Mulan from 1998. This film was released in the United States on June 19, 1998. The directors were Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook. There are over twenty writers a few are Rita Hsiao, Chris Sanders, Philip LaZebnik, Raymond Singer, and Eugenia Bostwick -Singer. The main character Mulan was voiced by Lea Salonga, General Shang was voiced by BD Wong. Other characters such as Mushu were voiced by Eddie Murphy and grandmother Fa was voiced by June Foray. There are many more characters in the story, but these are some of the most influential. When it first opened it made $22,745,14, and it grossed $120,620,254 domestically. In places like France it made $35,265,856 and in Germany $23,109,743. Overall it made $183,700,000 internationally and $304,320,254 worldwide. The review I read was by Roger Ebert, they titled it “Mulan”; posted on June 19,1998. In their review they rated it with 3.5 stars because the music was not as good as they hoped, however they still enjoyed the point of the film. Ebert said this about the music, “ If the songs were only more memorable, I'd give it four stars, but they seemed pleasant rather than rousing, and I wasn't humming anything on the way out.”
Women are set up to fulfill traditional roles, such as being wives and mothers, this however is not all that women want or strive for. Mulan is a young woman who is expected to soon marry and live her life like all the other women had previously in her village. She is put through tests where she is failed and told she would never be an adequate bride. However, she then finds a greater purpose, to fight in war in place of her elder father. She says this to the army recruiter when they come for her dad at (00:15:22) “Please, sir my father has already fought bravely.” She does not see it as good that her dad goes to fight again and speaks out, her family sees this as dishonorable. Then at (00:18:51) she begins to look like a male soldier by cutting her hair with her sword and using her dad’s uniform. From there on she serves like any other male soldier and eventually saves the emperor at the end. The film Mulan is similar to films like Moana where they both go journeys to save and help their families. Although it is dangerous they are brave and go forth with their plans. Providing their audiences a different perspective on girls and young women.
The image is her reflection in the sword when she is ready to become a soldier.
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