Coming Home

Disney’s “Mulan” premiered Tuesday in the homeland of its cartoon heroine after being held hostage for months by Chinese politics. China allows in only 10 foreign films a year to protect its own industry, and Disney had angered it two years ago with “Kundun,” about Chinese rule in Tibet. Cultural censors decided last year against allowing “Mulan” to open in China, but recently reversed their position. The movie is to show for one month in Shanghai, possibly longer if it is a success. It is also expected to show in Beijing and other cities. “Mulan” is based on a Chinese tale about a woman who disguises herself as a man to replace her father in battle. Mulan herself is familiar to Chinese children as a model of duty to family and country.