I recently watched Disney's animated series Mulan.It's about the legendary woman warrior Hua Mulan's attempt on taking the mighty barbaric Han dynasty. Mulan joins the army to prevent her old father from being sent to the war. One man from each family gets drafted to the army to defend China from the invaders. Mulan disguises herself as a boy and joins the army instead. During the war, she comes out with a brilliant idea of causing an avalanche that buries the whole Han army. However, the enemy later return and invade the country by crossing The Great Wall of China.
Mulan joins in the act, and the Chinese army manage to defeat the Hans in the end. Mulan is awarded for her achievements, and she finds a place in the Chinese legendary folklore.
Moral of the story: Mulan was a Chinese warrior defending China.
Mulan vs Damon
Fast forward to Damon's The Great Wall. Whether a marketing coup or just a coincidence, Damon, whose latest Jason Bourne action flick is out in the cinemas worldwide, has found himself embroiled in the controversy again. It has been claimed that Damon is blamed for promoting the 'white savior' complex by taking up the lead role in The Great Wall.
Hollywood is producing a new film based on the Chinese wars during the Song Dynasty. The movie starring Damon is aptly titled The Great Wall.
The American-Chinese venture is about the mysteries surrounding The Great Wall of China.
The 'white savior' complex
"We have to stop perpetuating the racist myth that only white men can save the world." - Constance Wu
Why is Damon in the news?In Mulan, Chinese borders are saved by a Chinese civilian and in The Great Wall the exact opposite happens.
An American comes to the rescue. It's more about the 'white savior' complex than Damon saving the Chinese from the wrath of the likes of Ghengiz Khan invading China along the lines of The Great Wall of China.
Wu of Fresh off The Boat fame has slammed The Great Wall for perpetuating the myth that only white men can save the world'.
She tweeted the following in response to people's reaction for 'pointing a finger at Damon':
For the millionth time it's NOT abt blame. Not blaming Damon, the studio, the Chinese financiers. It's not about blame, It's about AWARENESS
— Constance Wu (@ConstanceWu) July 30, 2016
Wu is clearly trying to to explain that she's not blaming the superstar actor or Hollywood in general and, however, she is claiming that there should be an "awareness" regarding Hollywood studios showing a non-colored person to be the Chinese savior.
Given that The Great Wall is an American-Chinese venture I don't think Hollywood is trying to promote the 'white savior' complex at all. The movie is being directed by Zhang Yimou of the Hero and House of Daggers fame.
It is written by Toni Gilroy of the Bourne series that turned Damon into a household name. If anything, Hollywood superstar Damon will only glorify the Chinese history and give a Chinese director a shot at the Oscars next year.
