Q2 Week 1: MISE-EN-SCENE

The movie I watched was Mulan(1998). The film is a Disney movie about a girl who struggles to bring honor to her family because she doesn’t fit in with the expectations of a Chinese woman in her culture. In fear of the dangers her father would face when he was summoned to fight in the war, Mulan takes his place and runs away to fight for China all while facing the challenges of being one with the other men. Mulan’s excellent progression and wit brings peace to China and honor to her family.

In the scene where Mulan is preparing to go to war for her father, she slices her short with a sword, steals her father's armor, and takes a horse with her. The drastic shift from the previous scenes of her being dressed up really girly to be socially accepted and honored in her family show a vast contrast in costume. It's also a pivotal moment in the movie because Mulan is taking her father's place in the war without knowing the challenges that lie ahead. The change in Mulan's costume contributes to why I like the movie because Mulan's actions represent her bravery and ability to be different from the rest of the women in China. Mulan is everything aside of what China expects and demands women to be. The movie takes place in a society that doesn't treat women with respect. Throughout the movie, Mulan is shunned upon being discovered as a woman.

In the introductory scene of Mulan, The Great Wall of China is shown right before the Huns attack China. This setting scene is very significant as it shows where the movie is taking place and introduces the Huns, who are at war with China throughout the entire movie. The movie itself revolves around the threat the Huns pose to China. The lowkey lighting gives the Great wall of China a negative feel. It's clear from the start something bad is going to happen. I admire this scene because it smoothly portrays the sequence of the plot by having viewers on edge in the face of danger.

The scene that introduces the Huns as a national threat to China incorporates lowkey lighting. Since this momment in the film is very serious and menacing, the lighting is dimmed and very dark. The use of lowkey lighting in the scene makes the audience more aware the Huns are a serious threat to China. The audience also feels frightened by the Huns in a way and worried for the sake of China. The main leader of the Huns is also introduced in this moment and being that he is a very creepy and powerful man, the lighting displays exactly that.

The staging of this scene is set up to show the characteristics of the average Chinese soldier in the camp. Mulan recently arrives to the war camp and must figure out how to successfully blend in with the guys. The character’s traits and personality’s are displayed and acted out to show the drastic difference between Mulan and what is expected of her to mold into. The guys are masculine and carry more anger than the women in time era of Mulan. Their voices are clearly deeper and their physique/ strength is valued by themselves. Mulan, as a woman in disguise is obviously confused as the scene goes on and observant to what she must learn to act like if she didn’t want to get found out.