Course:ASIA351/2021/Hua Mu Lan (1939)

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Hua Mu Lan (1939)
Director Bu Wancang
Screenwriter Ouyang Yuqian
Producer Zhang Shankun
Country China
Language Mandarin
Genre History, War
Release Date February 1939
Production Company Hua Cheng Studio

(华成制片厂)

Running Time 89 minutes

Hua Mu Lan (Simplified Chinese: 木兰从军; Traditional Chinese: 木蘭從軍) is a 1939 black-and-white Chinese historical movie directed by Bu Wancang, starring Chen Yunshang. It is also translated as Mulan Joins the Army, but Hua Mu Lan was its original English title. The screenplay was written by Ouyang Yuqian, one of the three founders of Chinese spoken drama[1]. The movie was produced by Hua Cheng Studio (Simplified Chinese: 华城制片厂; Traditional Chinese: 華成製片廠).

The movie is adapted from the famous legend of Hua Mulan, a Chinese folk heroine who disguises herself as a man and takes her aged and sick father's place to enlist as a soldier. She fights many battles and is rewarded by the emperor after the war ends. She humbly declines the emperor's offer of a position in the palace and returns home to reunite with her family. Although Mulan has been a traditional symbol of filial piety, the movie added a focus to her loyalty to the country and also was the first to add a romantic subplot to the traditional legend[2].

The movie was released in February 1939 while China was two years into the Second Sino-Japanese War and became a huge box-office success in Japanese-occupied Shanghai[3]. The plot mainly focuses on Mulan's time on the battlefield, conveying a clear and strong message of patriotism. Zhang Shankun, the producer of the movie, aimed to encourage more Chinese people to enlist and defend their country through the patriotic message [4]. The movie also presented a strong sense of feminism by portraying Mulan as an independent and strong woman.

Historical background

When the movie was filming, the war between Japan and China was underway. The relationship between the two countries was tense, with many Chinese secretly joined the battle defending from the invasion of the Japanese[5]. The movie's theme and plot pay attention to the defense of the homeland and express citizens' patriotic passions. In the 1939 Hua Mu Lan movie, Mulan says that, "I'd be doing my filial duty to you and my duty of loyalty to the emperor"[6]. This showcases the common feelings for many Chinese during the war. They wanted to protect their families, as well as help their country to fight against the "barbaric" invaders. In the movie, the hero Mulan is a woman. In reality, many women were similar to Mulan and tried to contribute to their country in various ways. Regardless of whether or not they had seen the movie, the women during that time thought like Mulan; "Father taught me martial skills from youth. Staying at home is of no use; it can't compare to serving the army in father's stead"[5]. As a result, many Chinese women were keen to join the war effort and help their country.

Synopsis/Plot Summary

Mulan learned Chinese martial arts from her father in her childhood[5]. As a result of her father's influence, Mulan grows up to be a woman with a patriotic heart and a strong belief in filial piety. When the army comes to her house to recruit soldiers, she volunteers to be the substitute for her aging father to join the army. One of the goals for this action is to serve her country, and the other one is to help her father to escape the fate of dying during the war. At the beginning, her father refuses her suggestion because he thinks Mulan's voice has no similarities to a man's voice[5]. In the end, Mulan proves her ability and gains agreement from her parents. In the army, Mulan presents her rigorousness, intelligence, and superior ability to fight. As a result, she wins her comrades' respect and support. During her army life, she meets a good friend, Liu Yuandu. They work cooperatively in many of the battles, and win them all. Both of them win their status on the battlefield. In one of the battles, their general is killed. Mulan tries to encourage the soldiers to continue fighting and in the end, Mulan leads the army herself and wins the battle. As a result, she becomes a general in the army. During a night of celebrations, Mulan and Yuandu partake in a romantic duet together. After twelve years of war, they finally return to Mulan's home. After Mulan recovers her female identity to her troop, she marries Liu Yuandu at the end of the movie.

Main characters

Hua Mulan (Simplified Chinese: 花木兰; Traditional Chinese: 花木蘭)

The titular heroine of the film, Mulan is portrayed as a young woman living in the Tang Empire with her family. She is initially shown hunting, as well as being reluctant (but not entirely opposed) to fulfill her "womanly duties" such as silk weaving. This already displays late Qing and Republican efforts to rewrite the character of Mulan to be one advocating for the changing positions of women in Chinese family and society.[7] When her elderly father is summoned for mandatory conscription, she persuades her father and mother to allow her to go to the war in his place disguised as a man. Throughout the film, Mulan is often highlighted as a pillar of filial piety, loyalty, as well as patriotism[5] - something acknowledged by many characters around her in the military as she climbed the ranks with every victory. Her strength is portrayed through not just her impressive combat abilities, but also through her independence, such as when she picked Liu Yuandu to be her husband herself instead of having it be decided by her parents.[5] In the film, Mulan is played by Chen Yunshang, a Hong Kong actress.

Liu Yuandu (Simplified Chinese: 刘元度; Traditional Chinese:劉元度)

A male soldier that joined the army at the same time as Mulan. He is portrayed as being immensely loyal to Mulan, going so far as to decline a promotion from the emperor so as to be able to keep serving under Mulan. This ultimately culminates in their marriage at the very end of the film. Prior to his and Mulan's duet, it had been left ambiguous as to whether or not Yuandu was aware that Mulan was disguising herself as a man, though there is a sense of gradual awareness throughout their time together.[7] Yuandu is played by the matinee idol Mei Xi.

The theme(s) of the work

Hua Mulan was successfully integrated into a classic Hollywood setting with some unique segments of Chinese opera presented. This wartime film was closely related to the social dilemma at that time. It provided a miniature of what the current time struggles were back in wartime Shanghai, as the Chinese government struggled with the Japanese invaders[8].

Social Propaganda during wartime Shanghai

Under this historical context, the plot was an easy analogy for the audience to foreshadow the characters and interpret its values within. The invaders were referred to simply as the "outside invaders," and the military commander who betrayed the marshal referred to the collaborators. Finally, the character, Mulan, signified the courageous resistance force that delivered messages of patriotism and urging resistance.

Moreover, the Confucius value of 'loyalty' (忠) in this movie was emphasized as being directed towards nation itself rather than on one's own family. As suggested in the movie, Mulan said "This is a national emergency. A few personal letters will have to wait (44:44)[6]", which demonstrated her placing the country before family. This indirectly revealed the patriotic theme that lied within this movie.

The Rise of New Women

The female protagonist, Hua Mulan, was embodied with traits of the emerging New Women during wartime Shanghai. At the beginning of the movie, she is already revealed as a girl who is capable of weaving and doing needlework while also capable of performing feats of physical strength as well as hunting. Under the influence of her father, a retired soldier, her character inherited her father's courage, presenting her like a New Woman. As the plot progressed, no one was ever suspicious of Mulan's disguise as a man because she was able to complete tasks and was just as brave in fighting off the invaders. Her physical strength and strategic abilities were highlighted throughout the plot, especially with her plan to 'disguise' as a woman and infiltrate the 'barbarians'.  Through demonstrating Mulan's actions, the movie called for the rise of New Women to take part in the war effort.

Influence

Overview

The influence of the movie Hua Mu Lan varies greatly in different regions in China. For instance, the film influenced the public in Shanghai quite positively and received affirmative feedback whereas the people in Chongqing receive the film negatively. The fact that Shanghai had become an "isolated island" for being a Western concession during the wartime but Chongqing was not later relates to the different acceptance of the movie from those areas (see next sections for more information).

Negative Influence

In Chongqing, the airing of the movie markedly aroused public dissatisfaction and indignation. As a result, the film was burned. It was pointed out that the director's attitude was unrighteous for making the movie in the first place, and it was a shame for everyone to allow this film to be shown during the war. The scene of the soldiers being reluctantly recruited and heading off to join the army is one of the factors that peeved the public, for it was considered to emphasize of the "ugliness" of soldiers' sorrow and timidity. Hence it was claimed that the film was an insult to national fighters[9]. Moreover, people recognized the word "Sun" that appeared in the lyrics in the movie as an indication of the Japanese national flag. Also, the love scenes of Mulan and Yuandu were criticized by the dramatist and director, Yanxiang Ma, that they were irrelevant to the war theme of the movie. The movie irritated the scholar furthermore for he claimed Hua Mu Lan as a "toxic film" and concluded four crimes of the movie:  vacillating national sentiments, insulting national fighters, undermining the theme of War of Resistance, and propagating for Japan[10].

Positive Influence

In Shanghai, once the movie was aired, it immediately caused a sensation, with 86 consecutive show days and 148,000 sales, breaking the record for the highest sales of domestic films in decades. The popularity and the great acceptance of the movie in Shanghai proved us a strong emotional identification of citizens in "isolated island" with Mulan, and the movie provided emotional comfort for Shanghai citizens. In the movie, even though Mulan chose to join the army, she still returned to her family at the end, which shows the compatibility of being patriotic and fulfilling filial piety.  Hence, for people that for whatever reason chose to stay in or were left in the "isolated island", they could finally find affirmation for themselves that staying in Shanghai is not a betrayal to the country and it did not affect them loving the country[11]. The success of Hua Mu Lan in Shanghai projected the pain and longing experienced by the public, and greatly satisfied the call for national heroes in people's mind. The movie was praised for reflecting the current situation, meeting the needs of the War of Resistance Against Japan, being beneficial to the audience during the war, and becoming the new blood that courses through the Shanghai community. Hua Mu Lan was described as the best film in Shanghai since the War of Resistance[12].

Conclusion

The opposing influences in unoccupied regions represented by Chongqing and occupied regions represented by Shanghai can be regarded as the first meeting and collision of different wartime political cultures. Also, it shows the complicated relationship between literature and politics. Any simplification and fragmentation of the relationship between the unoccupied area and the occupied area will not be able to clarify the complex aspects between literature and politics within the nuanced historical circumstances[13].

Further reading

A study of Shanghai as a "isolated island": A Study of Daily Life in Shanghai During the Isolated Island Period

A website about the history of the legend of Mulan: The Mulan Book Website

Articles about various adaptations of Mulan: Mulan, a Most Adaptable Heroine: There's a Version for Every Era Mulan: Five Versions of a Classic Chinese Legend, with Related Texts

Reviews of Hua Mu Lan (1939) (Chinese text)

The IMDb page of Hua Mu Lan (1939)

Other

Watch Hua Mu Lan (1939) with English subtitles on Youtube.

Watch Mulan: Rise of a warrior (2009) IMDb

Watch Mulan (2020) Disney movie


Hua Mu Lan (1939)

References

  1. ↑ Chen, Xiaomei (2014). The Columbia Anthology of Modern Chinese Drama. Columbia University Press. pp. pg. 5. ISBN 9780231165020.
  2. ↑ Naudus, Philip. "Mulan Joins the Army (木蘭從軍, 1939)". Mulan Book.
  3. ↑ Fu, Poshek (2003). Between Shanghai and Hong Kong: The Politics of Chinese Cinemas. Stanford University Press. p. 11. ISBN 9780804745185.
  4. ↑ Zhang, Jiru (2015). "孤岛电影《木兰从军》中的爱国情怀研究". 今传媒. 2015 Volume 9.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Harris, Kristine (2011). The New Woman International: Representations in Photography and Film from the 1870s through the 1960s. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. pp. 313–318.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Zhang Shankun (Producer), Ouyan Yuqian (Screenwriter), Bu Wancang (Director) (1939). Hua Mu Lan 木蘭從軍 (1939) (Movie). China: Hua Cheng Studio
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Wang, Zhuoyi (10 July 2020). "Cultural "Authenticity" as a Conflict-Ridden Hypotext: Mulan (1998), Mulan Joins the Army (1939), and a Millennium-Long Intertextual Metamorphosis". Arts. 9(3) – via MDPI.
  8. ↑ Zheng, Jian Jian (2017). 新华影业公司探析《木兰从军》：商业性质与视觉政治的错位. pp. 183–184.
  9. ↑ Liu, Lei. “Research on the Chinese Cinema Space Culture (1896-1949).” Shandong University, 2018, pp. 212.
  10. ↑ Xu, Feng. “Art and Politics: the Incident of Burning Movie Mulan Joins the Army in Chongqing.” Journal of Jilin University of Arts , no. 03, ser. 02, 2020, pp. 71–79. 02
  11. ↑ Wang, Mengjiao. “A Study of Mulan Films.” 2017, pp. 50–55.
  12. ↑ Qin, Yameng. “A Modern Narration of ‘Mulan Enlists’ in Shanghai and Guilin during the Anti-Japanese War Period.” Journal of Chinese Women's Studies, 2017, pp. 79–88.
  13. ↑ Xu, Feng. “Art and Politics: the Incident of Burning Movie Mulan Joins the Army in Chongqing.” Journal of Jilin University of Arts , no. 03, ser. 02, 2020, pp. 71–79. 02
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