A Cultural Recreation in Disney & Pixar - En studie som undersöker tillvägagångssättet och porträtteringen av främmande kulturfenomen i Mulan & Coco

Abstract

This thesis paper seeks to examine Disney and Pixar films’ approach and portrayal of foreign (from the United States) cultural phenomena that retain historical origins supported by evidence and facts. The analysis is done by critically examining Mulan (1998) which is produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, and Coco (2017) by Pixar Animation Studios. From a number of previous literary sources, it is observed that authors such as Dong (2010) and Meijuan, Hoon and Ching (2020) refer to Disney’s Mulan as a hybrid form, while Anjirbag (2019) refers to Pixar’s Coco as commodification without attentively conceptualizing it. Thus, this study is critically interpreted with the theoretical perspectives of Julie Sanders’ theory of adaptation, Richard A. Rogers’ reconceptualized theory of cultural appropriation, and the ideological values in Disney’s and Pixar’s films which are defined by M. Keith Booker. The analysis is derived with the point of departure of each film’s proper foreign cultural phenomenon, through a film semiotic and discursive analysis that focuses on the representation of the main characters and the plot of the story.