JUNE 26, 1998 GAY PEOPle's ChrONICLE

EVENINGS OUT

Story of a woman warrior avoids cute gimmicks

Mulan

Directed by Barry Cook

and Tony Bancroft

Walt Disney Pictures

Reviewed by Dawn Leach

With Mulan, Walt Disney has come out with a children's movie that is perfect for a queer family.

The legend of Mulan is one that everyone knows in China. As with any legend there are many versions, but the main theme is about a young woman who disguises herself as a man and takes her father's place in battle. Mulan becomes a brave and skillful warrior who saves her country and brings great honor to her family.

When Disney took on the story for a new animated feature, they went all out.

They gathered together an impressive collection of artists that drew on some very notable Asian-American talents.

The voices for the film include openly gay actor Harvey Fierstein (Torch Song Trilogy, Mrs. Doubtfire) and B.D. Wong, who played Song Liling-a male Chinese spy who poses as a woman in a 25-year relationship with male French diplomat-in the Broadway production of M. Butterfly. Wong was also in the HBO telefilm And the Band Played On. Several members of the artistic team were involved in gay-positive projects: Voice artist Gedde Watanabe was in Boys on the Side, and screenwriter Rita Hsiao worked for Ellen in the early days when it was still called These Friends of Mine. The voice of Mulan's mother is played by Freda Foh Shen, who performed in the play Top Girls.

The artistic team traveled to China before making the film and studied extensively to put the movie together. They went to museums and studied Chinese architecture and landscapes. They examined different versions of the legend and came up with an engaging combination of those stories, along with a few touches that are completely new.

As the story opens, the Huns have begun an assault against China, and the emperor orders his aide to gather an army to defend the country against the invasion.

Meanwhile, in the little village where Fa Mulan lives, unaware of the threat to the country, the eligible young women are preparing to meet the village matchmaker. Tomboy Mulan wants very much to bring honor to her family by impressing the matchmaker and securing a good man. She valiantly does her part as best she can, and her anxious family prays fervently not to be embarrassed, but try as she might, she just isn't cut out for it.

Mulan is too outspoken and too independent-minded to present the demure and subservient image that is required. The matchmaker becomes disgusted by her and sends her away in disgrace, warning her, “You may look like a bride, but you will never bring your family honor."

Mulan goes home, dejected. She sings a

Clearly outnumbered, Mulan escapes an onrushing Hun army

song about wanting to see a reflection in the mirror that she can recognize as herself.

"Could it be if I were to truly be myself, I would break my family's heart?" she sings. "Somehow I cannot hide who I am, though I've tried."

Meanwhile, the emperor's messenger arrives to announce that one man from every family must come to help defend the country against the Huns. Mulan's ailing father unhesitatingly steps forward as the only male in the Fa family. Mulan fears for her father's life, and she argues against his going, but he is determined.

"I know my place," he tells her. "It's time you learned yours."

Perhaps Mulan took her own meaning from this advice, because later that night, after watching her father painfully practicing

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with his sword, she makes an amazing decision. She waits until everyone is asleep, takes her father's conscription papers and replaces them with her decorated hair comb. She disguises herself as a man, puts on her father's armor and takes his sword, riding off into the night.

Her family awakes to find her gone, and her mother tells her father he must stop her, or she could be killed.

"If I reveal her, she will be," he answers sadly.

Under military codes, the penalty for her deception would be death.

I won't tell you the rest of the story, but of course Mulan has many adventures.

The story is inspiring, and Disney tells it artfully. It may be a children's story, but it is beautifully told and has enough complexity

to appeal to adults as well.

The characters are surprisingly well developed. They have a depth and a quality of realness to them.

Visually, the movie is very appealing. The artistic team studied traditional Chinese art, especially Chinese silk paintings, for their inspiration.

The result is something that transcends cartoons and becomes art. The style has a Zen simplicity and balance. Many scenes in the film are exquisite-like the moment when 2,000 Huns come cascading into a snow-covered mountain pass where Mulan's little band of warriors is traveling.

Mulan is unique in many ways. As feminist parents can easily tell you, it is difficult to find children's stories with a female as the central character.

Disney avoids many of the cute and hackneyed gimmicks that could have been added to this story.

"We had never really done a coming-of-age story from a female character's perspective," said Walt Disney feature animation president Peter Schneider. "It was a very exciting challenge for us not to do a love story, but something unique."

This is a story of courage, of a young woman who dares to be different, to do the unheard-of, and comes back triumphant. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender audience members will relate to the message of this film.

"There is a very clear underlying message about honesty and truth,” said Walt Disney feature animation vice president Thomas Schumacher, “and how your greatest empowerment comes from being your true self."

So go, take your kids to see the movie. If you don't have children, borrow the neighbors'. Or heck, just take your inner child and go enjoy a beautiful movie that will leave you feeling great.

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The Role Gender Plays?

Making Faces

by R.C. Kingsley

A transgendered actor learns

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