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Author
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Comment
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lozzienoonoo
Unregistered User
(11/25/05 8:52 am)
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My opinion on Mulan and Sleeping Beauty
In my opinion Mulan was a much stronger feminine character than Sleeping Beauty could ever be. She is a role model for girls all over the world, to fight for your rights and to stick up for yourself. The film shows important issues of respect for family, self - image and the patriachal society in China, at the time that the film was set. Yet Mulan shatters the conventions of the usual Disney films as she is certainly not a damsel in the distress. To be fair Mulan is a feel good film for women of all ages.
Sleeping Beauty, although it is a very enjoyable film is extremely stereotypical. It has the typical Damsel in distress and the typical hero. Sleeping Beauty is asleep through all the drama of the film, Prince Philip, the hero depicts the extremely partriachal (again) time that the film was made. The 1950's.
I'd be interested to know your opinions on the Disney films Mulan and Sleeping Beauty.
Laura
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princessterribel
Registered
User
(11/25/05 12:25 pm)
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Re: My opinion on Mulan and Sleeping Beauty
I have not seen Mulan, although I do know the story. In discussing these films it is very important to consider the times at which they were created...Sleeping Beauty was released in 1959. Also the story is adapted from versions much older than Disney, I am not sure from what resource Mulan was taken but the Disney people have certianly atte,pted to make the Mulan story more agreeable to the female audience.
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bielie
Unregistered User
(11/25/05 2:59 pm)
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Female political power games
Ever since I first saw Sleeping Beauty as a child thought that the three old ladies in Sleeping Beauty were the heroes. They schemed the whole thing, and gave the prince all these wonderful gifts that allowed him to destroy the witch.
In fact, all the strong characters in the movie were female. Phillip was merely a pawn in their political power games.
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Writerpatrick
Registered
User
(11/25/05 3:30 pm)
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Re: Female political power games
Mulan was softened for Disney. The original woman was a female warrior (like Xena) and leader who died by her own action. (I believe she jumped off a cliff.)
The problem with Sleeping Beauty is that when she's asleep, she can't do anything. In fact most of what happens to her is far beyond her control. (She was cursed as an infant.)
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princessterribel
Registered
User
(11/26/05 3:31 am)
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Re: Female political power games
I agree patrick, whilst all of the heroines in these early Disney productions are rather passive, Prince Philip is one of the more active heroes...if you think about it he is the ONLY one who actually, actively fghts for the princess. The tohers are either rescued (lITTLE MERAMID) or just walk in and take the prize, I think the worst prince for this has to be Cinderella's. He can't even do his own dirty work...he has to send the guy with the spy glass.hehe
Poor princesses.
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Veronica Schanoes
Registered
User
(11/26/05 8:55 am)
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Little Mermaid
I believe that in Disney's Little Mermaid, it's Prince Eric who kills Ursula.
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Rosemary Lake
Registered
User
(11/26/05 10:37 pm)
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earlier Disney heroines
I have a vague memory of someone saying that Disney got criticism about Snow White and Cinderella being too passive, so in the early part of Sleeping Beauty they tried to make her character more spirited. The way she behaved with animals, maybe. And her features aren't so rounded. :-)
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Rosemary Lake
Registered
User
(11/26/05 10:41 pm)
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Mulan
I forgot to mention that the big problem with Mulan is her choice of men! It ends with her welcoming the same prince who was so sexist and nearly killed her! She had much better men available, her friends in the army.
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avalondeb
Registered
User
(11/29/05 9:50 pm)
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Re: Mulan
To me the main differences are that Sleeping Beauty was based on a fairy tale, while Mulan was based on a legend of a real person.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The...d_of_Mulan
Of course, hers is not the only legend of a young girl who runs away to join the army. We even have one here in this country!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deborah_Samson
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princessterribel
Registered
User
(12/3/05 10:33 am)
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Re: Mulan
yes Veronica, eric does kill the sea witch, however, I would argue that it is the little mermaid that is more active. She makes the sacrifices, she rescues Eric, she tries to rescue her father etc.
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