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Themes and Culture Concepts in Disney's "Mulan": The Evolution from Chinese "Imagery" to Postmodernism

  • Yang, Hua (Dept. of Visual Contents, Dongseo University) ;
  • Choi, Dong-Hyuk (Dept. of Visual Contents, Dongseo University)
  • Received : 2022.06.10
  • Accepted : 2022.09.09
  • Published : 2022.10.31
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Abstract

The relationship between film and culture is established through a shared focus on people's lives. Culture changes at different times, which makes a dynamic and complex relationship between film and culture. Understanding this relationship helps to provide better support for current filmmaking. The purpose of this study is to provide insights into the macro issue of film and culture by exploring the relationship between film theme and culture concept. To this end, we used a case study to explore the connection between themes and culture concepts in Disney's Mulan (1998, 2020) through literature and analyses of culture concepts (Chinese "imagery" and Postmodernism). The study concludes that, "Culture assemblage" and "Vision is king" have become cultural trends that influence the creation of film theme and style to a certain extent; how to balance the relationship between the core idea of film theme and the external forms is an important issue in current filmmaking. The article contributes to promote thinking about culture in film creation, and its research perspective on different cultures and histories is innovative.

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