OPINION
By BRIDGET ULLOA
Page Editor
The new live-action version of the Disney princess movie, “Mulan,” came out just Sept. 4, 2020, on Disney Plus available to viewers with a premium subscription of $29.99.
I, however, didn’t spend the $30 needed to watch “Mulan” because I did not want to see it. And no, I won’t see it because I, like many others, have some issues with the live-action adaptation.
The story behind “Mulan” actually comes from a Chinese legend called “The Ballad of Mulan,” which tells the tale of a young woman who dresses as a man to take her father’s place as a warrior in the army.
Disney said that they wanted to make an adaptation as similar to “The Ballad of Mulan” as they could, which seemed like a good idea to me because we get to see how the original story is told.
That was until I found out the director of the movie and most of the production staff were not of Chinese descent. Maybe it’s just a personal thing, but I would assume if one wanted to make a movie that is based on a Chinese legend that includes immense knowledge of Chinese culture and history, wouldn’t it make sense to have a Chinese production staff who actually know these things?
There’s another issue I have with the movie. Part of “Mulan” was filmed in Xinjiang (a region in China). For those who don’t know there are Muslim internment camps in Xinjiang right now.
I think that it’s important to be aware of all the contributing factors that went into the making of this film.
There are real-life issues taking place behind the scenes that need to be talked about and not just left behind the curtain.
That’s why I, for one, will not be spending $30 to watch “Mulan.”
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