Mulan_Journey

The best of all journeys is a journey to discover your inner self and what you are capable of. Today we will be venturing through the movie Mulan, a famous historical legend released on June 5, 1998 produced by Walt Disney picture animations. The movie relates to a physical journey and inner journey and revolves around cultural understanding, traditions and values, delivering the message that our true journey is not found through the physical journey we take but by understanding ourselves and the capabilities that we can uphold through self discovery. Throughout the film Mulan, set in Northern China during the Wei dynasty, a reoccurring motif is present within Mulan’s struggle to understand her culture and traditions as she attempts to bring honour to her family. This is instantly addressed in an early scene within the film where we are shown a close up of Mulan’s reflection. As we stare upon the two contrasting sides of her face we familiarise the symbolic nature of each. The side which is decorated portrays her synthetic side where in order to be accepted she must conform to the expectations, upheld by her culture. This however is juxtaposed by the plain side of her face which suggests her natural ability and independent voice, restrained from the barriers of her traditional roles. As Mulan wipes away the decorations from her face it is represented that Mulan is wiping away the impurities and doubts which plague her mind; In her longing to understand who she really is and what she is capable of, conveying the idea of self understanding. In cause of the Hun invasion in China, Mulan’s most challenging trial and physical journey unfold in the subsequent danger of her family’s well- being. In knowledge of this, she impersonates a solider to replace her father in war. In a preceding scene in the film, we witness Mulan’s self improvement by the physical and emotional challenges she faces during her participation in the army. In several of Mulan’s training scenes, long shot camera angles are imposed to convey the complexity of each challenge and to emphasize the distance of each goal ahead. Mulan’s determination and ingenuity is tested, helping her discover her strengths and skills. The supporting background of the sunrise is used to symbolize the rising hope that Mulan possesses for herself and for her family as she faces these challenges, reinforcing the concept of understanding. Succeeding in the downfall of the Huns her true identity is revealed, Mulan is then banished by the imperial army and she quotes “Maybe I didn’t go for my father, but to prove I can do things right and to show that I can be someone worthwhile”. By these words we are able to convey the message that Mulan did not merely embark on her physical journey through the love of her family, but also to gain acceptance of others for whom she really is. This brings us to the final scenes in the film, following countless events of heroism and courage, Mulan’s determination, boundless hope and care for others are rewarded through the acceptance and honour, not only from her family but throughout the whole of China. The film Mulan, displays many techniques and references in relation to journey and understanding. The film is used as an explicit source, reflecting through themes of tradition, values and culture which are specified in the relation to the physical and inner journey of this film. By these many examples we can convey that journey is about understanding and not movement.