Abstract: The adaptation of traditional literary masterpieces from other cultures into movies and TV works has been a common practice of Hollywood these days. By the comparison of the poem “Mulan” and its Hollywood cartoon version, the essay points out that the adaptation actually deconstructs the progenitor. The paper first compares the differences of the two versions on plots, characterizations and themes, then proceeds to investigate the cultural root for the emergence of these differences. It also gives spectators a special experience through cinematography, which serves as a method of interpreting both the literary masterpiece and its culture