Abstract：The story of Mulan is a famous folk legend of China. The earliest record on Mulan is the Ode to Mulan from the Northern Song Dynasty, which tells the story of a girl named Mulan  who disguised as a man to fight on the battlefield, and eventually returned home with glory. However, what really makes the story of Mulan a success is the Disney Disney Mulan in 1998, which has gained a good reputation and has been widely welcomed all over the world. In 2009, China also filmed the movie Mulan, which conducted recreation and interpretation for the traditional Chinese story. Film is developed from the Chinese traditional culture, and created a national Mulan image who sacrificed her happiness for people.

On the basis of previous studies, the thesis will inroduce the origin of the Mulan’s image and separately introduce the reshaping on Mulan’s image through the change of appearance and feelings in the Chinese and Western films. Then, it will compare the cultural differences reflected in these two films in several aspects, including differences among feminism, piety and responsibility, personal heroism and national heroism. Finally, it will explore the reasons behind cultural differences from human nature and historical perspectives.

Keywords:  Mulan image  movie  cultural differences   feminism

Contents

Abstract

摘要

Chapter One Introduction-1

1.1 Introduction to Hua Mulan-1

1.2 Introduction to Disney Movie Mulan-1

1.3 Introduction to Chinese Movie Mulan-1

1.4 Literature Review-2

1.5 Thesis Structure-2

Chapter Two Adaptation and Reshaping of Mulan Images-7

2.1 Mulan in Western Movie-7

2.1.1 Transformation of  Mulan's Appearance-7

2.1.2 Reshaping of Personal Value-7

2.2 Mulan in Chinese Movie-9

2.2.1 Depiction of Mulan's Inner Feelings-9

2.2.2 Increase in Emotional Line-9

Chapter Three Cultural Differences between the Two Films-6

3.1 Cultural Connotations of Mulan in Disney Movie-7

3.1.1 Feminism -8

3.1.2 Individualistic Heroism-8

3.2 Cultural Connotations of Mulan in Chinese Movie-9

3.2.1 Piety and Responsibility-10

3.2.2 National Heroism-11

Chapter Four Reason for Differences Between the Two Flims-12

4.1 Different Understanding of Human Nature-12

4.2 Individualism vs. Collectivism-12

Chapter Five Conclusion-14

5.1 Major Findings-14

5.2 Limitations-15

References-17