7-1 Final Project: Anthropological Film Study 1
7-1 Final Project: Anthropological Film Study
Brynne Nicholas
Southern New Hampshire University
ATH 111: Intro to Cultural Anthropology
Professor Amanda Busby
April 16, 2023
7-1 Final Project: Anthropological Film Study 2
Introduction
Mulan is an animated film directed by Tony Bancroft as well as Barry Cook and was
created by Buena Vista Pictures in 1998. Based on the Chinese folk story, the Ballad of Mulan,
this film tells the story of the folk heroine, Fa Mulan ( 2022). When The real story of Mulan,
Mulan learns that her ailing father has been drafted into the Imperial Army due to invading
Huns, she decides to take his spot, so he does not have to go to war. Mulan does this by
disguising herself as a man and leaving to go train with fellow conscripts because she knows that
her father will most likely not survive in war. The progenitors of Mulan's family send Mushu, a
diminutive and disgraced dragon, after her in an effort to stop her from being discovered and
persuade her to change her mind. When he finds Mulan and learns that she is determined to do
whatever it takes to save her father, Mushu chooses to assist her and teaches her how to be a
soldier. Accompanied by Mushu, Mulan uses her wits to help fend off a Hun attack and falls in
love with a gallant captain in the process (Bancroft, T., & Cook, B., 1998). Everyone’s life is
impacted by culture as it helps shape behaviors. Culture is present everywhere, including in the
films we watch. In the film, , culture is portrayed through the anthropological core Mulan
concepts of cultural symbols/symbolism, enculturation, and gender.
Representation of Culture
Although Mulan became one of China's most folk heroine warriors, her voyage to get
there did not begin that way. Chinese culture at the time forbade women from serving in the
