Mulan– March 27th 2020
Travis’ alternative: Whale Rider
Available: Amazon Prime
Original Release: 2003
Director: Niki Caro
Cast: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Cliff Curtis, Rawiri Paratene, Rachel House
A personal all-time favorite, it never struck me then just how much Whale Rider and Mulan had in common. Long before Caro took on the Disney epic, she directed this film about a Maori girl, played by then-youngest Oscar nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes, who bucked her all-male culture to become leader of her people. To do it, she would have to be tough and literally fight her way to the mantle, something her family found hard to accept. Intense, sensitive, observant, and free of cliche, if you’re looking for a film that captures the female warrior spirit, this is it.
