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Mulan's father found out who she really is
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Opera Film: The Lady General Hua Mu-lan 花木蘭 (1964)
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[FILM] The Lady General Hua Mu-lan 花木蘭, Yueh Feng 岳楓 (director), 1964
Produced by the acclaimed Shaw Brothers Studio in 1964, The Lady General Hua Mu-Lan (Hua Mulan 花木蘭) is a Huangmei opera color film, directed by Yueh Feng 岳楓 (1909-1999), who worked at the Shaw Brothers Studio from 1959 onward. In the 1950s and 1960s, four opera films (xiqu pian 戲曲片) adapted the story of Mulan. The characters and plotline of these films are quite similar, but it was this Huangmei opera film that became a blockbuster in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and elsewhere in Southeast Asia thanks to the fans of its lead actress, Ivy Ling Po 凌波 (1939-). Ivy Ling Po not only was awarded Best Actress at the 11th Asian Film Festival in 1964, but she and Jin Han 金瀚 (1937-), who played General Li in the film, got married in 1966.
Beginning in the year 1962, Ivy Ling Po had begun to specialize in non-gender straight roles that featured women disguised as men. Such gender reversals were a standard practice in traditional Chinese theater, but it was rare in the film industry. Nevertheless, as noted in How To Read Chinese Drama in Chinese, "Ling Po developed a cult following of “super fans” among female audiences in Taiwan and South East Asia from the 1960s onward. Her fans have since put together a website with many details about her life and her work: https://lingboh.wordpress.com/. Ling had been sold to adoptive parents who arranged a forced marriage to a wealthy man thirty years her senior when she was fourteen. They also trained her to become the family’s main provider through singing and film performances as a minor first in local dialect films (Fujianese) and then in the Mandarin productions of the new Huangmei Opera films produced in the Shaw Brother studios in Hong Kong. Her breakout role was her impersonation of the male scholar Liang Shanbo 梁山伯, who fell in love with the cross-dressed girl Zhu Yingtai 祝英台, when they both studied at a Confucian academy in Love Eterne 梁山伯与祝英台 (1963, directed by Li Hanxiang 李翰祥, Huangmei Opera film produced by the Shaw Brothers studio). When Ivy Ling Po visited Taiwan in 1963, close to 200,000 fans participated in mass gatherings to honor her despite bans on public assemblies in Taiwan at the time. The film Lady General Hua Mulan released the following year sought to capitalize on that success" (forthcoming).
Video Clips Updated Layout
* These clips have both English and Chinese subtitles, we provide transcription of both subtitles.Hua Ming introduces a young man (Mulan in disguise) to Mulan's father
Click for Translation Notes
Hua Ming: Uncle. 花明：叔叔。 Hua Hu: Ming, what is it? 花弧：明儿，什么事呀？ Hua Ming: Dear uncle, my mother has asked me to bid you goodbye. 花明：叔叔，侄儿奉了家母之命，特来向您老人家辞行。 Hua Hu: Where are you heading to? Far away from home? 花弧：上哪儿去？预备出远门？ Hua Ming: To the border. 花明：到边关去。 Hua Hu: What for? 花弧：去干什么？ Hua Ming: To join the army. 花明：去从军。 Hua Hu: That’s like a real guy of Hua family! Come here. 花弧：这才是花家的后代！来，到里边谈。 Hua Ming: Uncle, I have a friend who wishes to meet you. 花明：叔叔，我有个朋友要拜访你。 Hua Hu: Meet me? Who is it? 花弧：拜访我？是谁？ Hua Ming: We’ll join the army together. He heard that you are a skilled soldier. He’d like to pay you his respects. He desires to test his abilities and also learn from you, in order to be prepared for the enemies. 花明：是跟我一起从军的朋友。听说叔叔的武艺高强，特地来拜访你的。想试试自己的能力,也想跟叔叔学几招，好到边关去杀敌。 Hua Hu: Good. I’m glad to hear that. You friend is very determined. Come on then. Where is he? I’ll teach him something. 花弧：好，你这个朋友好。有这样的大志。来，我见见他，我都他几招。 Mulan’s mother: Dear, you should get some rest. You’re still short of breath. (To Ming) Ming, tell your friend to come another time. 木兰母：老头儿，你就歇着吧。你的喘病还没好呢。明儿，去对你那位朋友说请他改天再来吧。 Hua Hu: His friend is very sincere. How can I refuse? His friend is determined. Ming, let’s go! 花弧：人家诚心诚意地来请教我，我怎么可以不教人家呢？他这个朋友有志气。明儿，走！ Mulan asks her father whether it's right for men and women to come forwards and defend our country
Click for Translation Notes
Hua Ming: Veteran Hero Hua is here. 花明：花老英雄到。 Hua Mulan: (kneels) My respect to Hero Hua. 木兰：拜见花老英雄。 Hua Hu: Get up please. There is no need to be formal. How can I be of service, young man? 花弧：起来，起来，不要客套。小哥有何指教？ Mulan: I wouldn’t dare! I’ve heard about your excellent skills, and I’m here to pay you a visit. I hope that you could teach me to see whether I’m good enough for the army. 木兰：不敢。小辈素仰花老英雄武艺超群，特地前来拜访。想请老英雄多多指教。想试试自己的能力，能不能到边关去冲锋杀敌。 Hua Ming: Enough talk. 花明：话太多。 Hua Hu: Good…Let him speak. He knows more than you do. 花弧：好，让他说。他懂得比你多。 Hua Ming: Yes, uncle. 花明：是。 Hua Hu: Young man, how long have you practiced martial art? (Hua Ming behinds Mulan’s father uses his body language to suggest Mulan stop talking and is worried that her voice might reveal her identity) 花弧：小哥对武功方面，学了有多少年了？ Mulan: Please, Hero Hua. 木兰：老英雄，请。 Hua Hu: Please…Wait, let me call my daughter Mulan to practice with you. 花弧：请……慢慢，我先叫小女木兰来陪你练几招。 Mulan: No… I’d like to learn from you first. Please. 木兰：不……我先要请教花老英雄。请。 Hua Hu: Alright (turns to his elder daughter) Muhui, ask Mulan to bring out my spear. 花弧：好。（对木蕙）你叫木兰把我的花枪拿出来。 Muhui: Father. It’s already put in the courtyard. 木蕙：爹，你的花枪已经放在院子里了。 Hua Hu: Oh! It’s already there! 花弧：啊！已经放在院子里了。 Hua Ming: Uncle, he’s waiting. 花明：叔叔，人家在等着你呢！ Hua Hu: Fine… 花弧：好。 Mulan’s younger brother Mudi would like to see the competition, but he is stopped by his eldest sister. Muhui: Mu Di. 木蕙：木棣。 Mudi: He looks very much like our sister Mulan. 木棣：大姐，这个人好像是二姐。 Muhui: Don’t be silly. Go inside. 木蕙：不要瞎说，快进去。 Mudi: I’ll fetch mother to come watch. 木棣：我去叫阿娘来看。 Muhui: (tries to stop) Mudi, Mudi! 木蕙：木棣，木棣！ The scene is cut to the courtyard. Hua Hu: Please. 花弧：请。 Mulan: I’d like to ask you a question first. 木兰：小辈有个问题，想先请教老英雄。 Hua Hu: Okay, go ahead. Voice your doubts. 花弧：好，有什么问题你先说说。 Mulan: Hero Hua, at this time when our nation is at war, don’t you think it’s right for men and women to come forward and defend our country? 木兰：请问老英雄，国家受到侵略，是不是老百姓不分男女群起干戈保家卫国？ Hua Hu: Absolutely! 花弧：好，真是高见。 Mulan: So be it man or a woman it doesn’t matter, right? 木兰：保家卫国是不是不分男女？ Hua Hu: Not at all. 花弧：不分男女。 Mulan: Let’s begin. 木兰：请。 Mulan fights with her father
Click for Translation Notes
Mulan, using a spear, engages in an extended fight with her father, who does not recognize that he is fighting his own daughter (14:22-15:18) Mulan’s mother: (on her way) Fine now…stop it. (gets to the courtyard and finds out the secret of the young man) Ah, he is Mulan. 木兰母：好了，好了，别比了。啊，是木兰嘛。 Mudi: That’s Mulan. 木棣：是二姐。 Mulan’s mother: Stop it, Mulan. 木兰母：唉，木兰，别打了，别打了。 Mulan falls on the ground and drops her hat. Mulan’s father starts coughing and everybody goes to check on him. Mulan's father recognizes her
Click for Translation Notes
Mulan’s mother: What? How? You… 木兰母：怎么啦你…… Mulan: (feels guilty) Father. 木兰：爹。 Mulan’s mother: Mulan, this is too much. 木兰母：木兰，你太放肆了。 Mulan: mother. 木兰：阿娘。 Non-diegetic chorus singing in the background “Hua Hu has found out who she really is. He couldn’t stop his tears from flowing.” 老花弧，识破了是姑娘。不由他，又惊又喜泪盈眶啊。 Hua Hu: (sings) You have better skills than me. You are my good child. Now I will let you join the army. Fend off the enemies at the border. It’s indeed good of your cousin to accompany you. Seek your cousin’s advice. Be daring and careful. Don’t be afraid of the barbarians. 花弧：（唱）果然枪法比爹好啊。你不愧是花家的好儿郎。现在我放心让你去，替我杀敌到边疆。好在有明儿在一起，兄妹遇事好商量。心要细，胆要壮。不怕他胡儿怎么强。 Mulan’s mother: (sings) It’s such a long distance to travel. You don’t know how long you will be away. Although your cousin Ming can take care of you, but you are a girl after all. If someone finds out, you’ll be sentenced for lying to the emperor. 木兰母：(唱)乔装只怕路程远，改扮须防岁月长。虽然明儿能照顾，姑娘到底是姑娘。万一被人来识破，欺君大罪要提防。 Hua Hu: (sings) If one’s a good soldier, the gender doesn’t matter. If one could help the country, who cares if or not there’s a disguise. God forbid if someone finds out, I’ll take all the blame. We have a good child. Both our family and country ought to be proud. It’s okay even if I, Hua Hu, may die. So what if I eventually die! 花弧：（唱）只要能杀敌，管他是男是姑娘。只要能报国，管他乔装不乔装。万一被人来识破，欺君大罪我承当。花家有了好后代，为家为国两争光。我花弧一死又何妨。我一死又何妨！ Mulan leaves for the border
Video Clips
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Video Clip: Mulan’s Father Recognizes Her
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Lady General Hua Mulan 1964
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Mulan’s mother: What? How? You… 木兰母：怎么啦你…… Mulan: (feels guilty) Father. 木兰：爹。 Mulan’s mother: Mulan, this is too much. 木兰母：木兰，你太放肆了。 Mulan: mother. 木兰：阿娘。 Non-diegetic chorus singing in the background “Hua Hu has found out who she really is. He couldn’t stop his tears from flowing.” 老花弧，识破了是姑娘。不由他，又惊又喜泪盈眶啊。 Hua Hu: (sings) You have better skills than me. You are my good child. Now I will let you join the army. Fend off the enemies at the border. It’s indeed good of your cousin to accompany you. Seek your cousin’s advice. Be daring and careful. Don’t be afraid of the barbarians. 花弧：（唱）果然枪法比爹好啊。你不愧是花家的好儿郎。现在我放心让你去，替我杀敌到边疆。好在有明儿在一起，兄妹遇事好商量。心要细，胆要壮。不怕他胡儿怎么强。 Mulan’s mother: (sings) It’s such a long distance to travel. You don’t know how long you will be away. Although your cousin Ming can take care of you, but you are a girl after all. If someone finds out, you’ll be sentenced for lying to the emperor. 木兰母：(唱)乔装只怕路程远，改扮须防岁月长。虽然明儿能照顾，姑娘到底是姑娘。万一被人来识破，欺君大罪要提防。 Hua Hu: (sings) If one’s a good soldier, the gender doesn’t matter. If one could help the country, who cares if or not there’s a disguise. God forbid if someone finds out, I’ll take all the blame. We have a good child. Both our family and country ought to be proud. It’s okay even if I, Hua Hu, may die. So what if I eventually die! 花弧：（唱）只要能杀敌，管他是男是姑娘。只要能报国，管他乔装不乔装。万一被人来识破，欺君大罪我承当。花家有了好后代，为家为国两争光。我花弧一死又何妨。我一死又何妨！
