时间：2022-05-24 08:22:28
Abstract: The penman takes a new perspective to read movie Mulan that is post-colonial theory.
Key words: Mulan; post-colonialism; dragon
1.Introduction
Post colonialism is a specifically postmodern intellectual discourse that consists of reactions to, and analysis of, the cultural legacy of colonialism and imperialism. Post colonialism is defined in anthropology as the relations between European nations and areas they colonized and once ruled.
2.Analysis of Mulan
2.1 Dissolution of the Chinese tradition
Each country has its own spiritual pillar, Chinese believe dragon totem just like the United States worship their God. Chinese take a pride in that they are the descendants of the dragon and maintain that only with full of vigor can they construct a better country, the spirit encourages Chinese to make unremitting efforts. However, the totem, symbolizing our spirit, is replaced in Hollywood film.
In movie Mulan, the totem worshiped by Chinese people is completely overturned. In the film, the image of dragon is distorted artistically and many people misconceive the dragon as lizard or snake. Later, Li Xiang(a character in movie Mulan) goes to accept the emperor’s kindness because he defeats the Huns’ army, the Huns’ spy hides himself below a dragon grotesque. In the second part of the movie, the guardian, dragon, in order to maintain his position, even destroys the relationship between Mulan and Li Xiang. Totem of Chinese, in Americans’eyes, has become a thin, weak, unsuccessful character with a strong utilitarian heart.
In this film, the totem is spoofed, the permutation of deep culture represented by the image reflects Americans’ trampling and disdain on Chinese culture.
Loyalty, filial piety and bravery believed by Chinese people are always not understood by Americans. Americans usually view Chinese people’s loyalty to their leaders as blind loyalty, the filial biety to their parents as stupied filial piety, the bravery on the battlefield and on the mall as reckless bravery. In short, in American’s eyes, the so-called loyalty, filial piety and bravery should not be showed out until they fully respect their own will, otherwise they treat it as destruction to human nature, the trampling on human rights. In movie Mulan, courage, loyalty and filial piety are replaced by individualism. In desert, when abandoned by friend, Mulan says to dragon (a character in Mulan), “Perhaps I come here not for my father, maybe I just want to prove myself, that is, I can do.” After blind failure, Mulan has been caught in distress that she wants to prove her talent. The words show her joining to the army is more for herself rather than for her father. A heroine of China thus turns into an extreme individualist.
2.2 Exaggeration of the decayed parts of China’s traditional culture
China has a long history of civilization which certainly has some irrational parts. With China’s development, these unreasonable parts are being improved. However, all of this, in the eyes of Americans are factors which can be overlooked. They have formed a bias that China is an epitome of the autocracy, the enemy of democracy and freedom. So in Chinese movie, westerners want to look for inferiority of the nation. As there are little films describing national inferiority in China, so the USA could take advantage of Hollywood movies to instil China’s circumstances into their national’s mind.
In the beginning of the movie Mulan, when Mulan supplicats for her lame father, prime minister accuses her and says, “When a man is talking, the woman should keep quiet.” Chinese old patriarchal ideology is performed on American screen. Many Americans will increase a kind of impression after watching the movie, that is, women have no place in China.
The story of Mulan’s military service for her father reconstacted by Disney is based on the specific historical status and social environment belonging to the rebuilder and gives a new meaning to the story which can highlight the history of American spirit. Americans narrate a story of national traditions of “other” culture by the story of Mulan and successful shape a story of personal struggle. In this way, power and discourse hiden behind of capitalism successfully treats their life style, culture, customs and forms of knowledge as a kind of absolute superiority of the world values.
3.Conclusion
Film is one of the modern major pop culture, through the analysis of the film's case, we found that Western culture influence Eastern culture ubiquitously, taking the new perspective of post-colonial to analyze film, the aims are not to praise or belittle, but only face the presenthistorical situation truly. We should think about the fate of Third World culture in history and explore the way of Oriental culture. In the context of globalization today, we should at least face Western cultural hegemony in a clear way and find out where oriental culture’s opportunities and challenges lie.
Bibliography:
[1]Huang Lei, The analysis of movie in the context of post-colonialism[DB].
[2]Ma Huijuan, Miao Ju. Selected Readings of Contemporary Western Translation Theories [M]. Foreign language teaching and research press, 2010