Mulan's emotions shown in new film
Wednesday November 25 2009
The new Mulan film avoids glorifying one of China's best-known female folk heroes, a Hong Kong director has insisted.
Mulan instead focuses on her vulnerabilities and relationships, said Jingle Ma.
He said: "The animated movie tells you she is cheerful, she's a little godlike in that she can solve all her problems, she can use her wits to solve many of her problems - but it doesn't discuss her deepest emotions."
Ma added Chinese actress Zhao Wei was picked for the lead role partly because of her physique, saying he wanted someone athletic and well-built enough to be a credible male soldier.
"If you put a woman with a slender face among tens of thousands of soldiers, I don't think she would have an easy time," Ma said.
Ma added the priority was for the film to do well in China rather than worldwide.
"I don't know if foreign audiences will like this movie, but I want to do a good job in our domestic market first," he said. "If foreign audiences like it as well, that's a bonus for me."
Press Association
