Persepolis
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Movie Reviews of Persepolis
Movie Review: A Headstrong Woman's Youth in Iran, Told Through Striking B&W Animation.
Summary: 5 Stars
"Persepolis" is based on Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novels of her childhood and youth in Iran. Satrapi co-directed and co-wrote the film with Vincent Paronnaud, and she is careful to say that it should not be taken as a literal representation of her life, because the narrative technique in film is so different from graphic novels that some liberties are inevitable. The story begins in 1978 Tehran, as 9-year-old Marjane, with a childish and uncomprehending political eye, witnesses the last days of the Shah's regime. Initial optimism turns to fear as the nation's new leadership institutes Draconian reforms. Fearing for their outspoken daughter, Marjane's parents send her to high school in Vienna. After an eventful flirtation with Western culture, Marjane heads back to Tehran for university, family, and more frustration with that nation's oppressive religious regime.
"Persepolis" is created from hand-drawn animation, stark black-and-white foregrounds that tend to be against muted backgrounds. Though the characters are illustrated with relatively simple lines, the texture of other elements in the scenes is often pronounced and inviting. Marjane Satrapi chose to make an animated film in part because she wanted it to be abstract, not identified solely with a particular place and time, and not an "ethnic" film. She's correct in thinking that animation removes the ethnic quality, even from a film that takes place in a foreign country among people speaking a foreign language. The animation style is thoroughly enjoyable and deceptively simple. The clean lines focus attention on what is important, while peripheral elements create mood.
I don't think that "Persepolis" has anything pointed to say. It expresses one person's experiences with passion and humor. Marjane laments what happened to her family and country. She remarks on the advantages and shortcomings of life in Europe. I think more than a commentary on Iran or oppressive governments, "Persepolis" expresses the conflicting emotions that immigrants from the developing world to the First World often feel: Contentment and optimism in the new opportunities that they enjoy. Frustration and nostalgia for their native countries that continue to struggle with basic social and economic issues. This is where "Persepolis" most succeeds and finds itself expressing thoughts and emotions common to millions of people. In French with optional subtitles.
The DVD (Sony 2008): The film was recorded in French, but the directors also recorded an English version, so you can watch the film in either language or with subtitles in English or Spanish. There are 5 featurettes on the disc. Most are in French with subtitles. "The Hidden Side of Persepolis" (30 min) is a French making-of documentary. Satrapi takes us behind the scenes to meet the film's animators, cast, and other technicians, who explain their work. "Behind the Scenes of Persepolis" (9 min) was made for the English version. It interviews the director and some of the American cast. In "Cannes Press Conference Q&A" (29 min), the directors, producers, and French cast take questions from the press. "Selected Scene Commentaries" presents 3 sequences with commentary by Satrapi, Paronnaud, or actress Chiara Mastroianni. "Animated Scene Commentaries" present another 3 sequences plus some tests that were not used, comparing the film to the storyboards, with commentary by Satrapi.
Movie Review: Simply Awesome
Summary: 5 Stars
"Persepolis" is an animated film and was first released in 2007. It won the Jury Prize at that year's Cannes Film Festival and was also nominated at the Oscars for Best Animated Feature. It's based on Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel, and tells the story of Satrapi's own life.
"Persepolis" opens at Orly, one of the main Paris airports, with Marji preparing for her return to Tehran. The prospect of returning is weighing heavily on her and, as she tries to gather herself, she thinks back to her childhood - in the days leading up to the Iranian Revolution.
Marji was just an ordinary 10-year old in 1979. She loved eating French Fries with red sauce, idolized Bruce Lee and had only two dreams : to, one day, shave her legs and to be the last prophet. Naturally, she understood little of the "adult world" - Marji liked the Shah, and believed her teachers when they said he'd been appointed by God. Her parents soon put her straight : they, with good reason, detested the Shah. The current Shah inherited his position from his father - who, in turn, had been appointed by the British, rather than God. Furthermore, her Grandfather (a prince, no less) and her Uncle Anoosh had been imprisoned by one Shah or another and both had been devoted Communists - viewed by both Shahs as something evil. Wide-eyed and deeply impressed, Marji immediately switches sides and becomes a devout revolutionary...well, she adopts Che Guevara as a role model and chants anti-Shah slogans in the living -room. Her parents are careful to confine her when the uprising finally comes - something they're involved in themselves. With the fall of the Shah, life is - for a short spell - like a dream. Old family friends - like Siamak, who had been routinely tortured - and Marji's Uncle Anoosh are released from prison. Like Marji's parents, both are hopeful of a better society. Marji had known nothing of her Uncle before his release from prison but, before long, the pair are devoted to each other. Unfortunately, their hopes prove unfounded. Islamic Fundamentalists win the following elections, and society becomes even more oppressive. Many of the Shah's former enemies - including Anoosh - are hunted down and returned to prison; others, like Siamak, flee. However, Marji and her family stay put...with our young heroine becoming more and more disillusioned. In time, she turns her back on her dreams of being a prophet - instead, she starts listening to Iron Maiden, adds a denim jacket and trainers to her hijab and argues with her teacher when she lies about their wonderful new government. Naturally, her parents are a little concerned that she's speaking up like this...and feel they have to do something to protect her. The path they set her on eventually leads to the confused young woman sitting in Orly Airport.
An absolutely brilliant movie, one that is much more than "just a cartoon". The film was initially released in France, with Chiara Mastroianni (as Marjane) and Catherine Deneuve (as her mother) amongst the voice actors. Both reprised their roles for the English soundtrack, with Sean Penn and Iggy Pop amongst the "big names" coming in. There was something about the artwork that somehow grabbed and held my attention, much more so than the recent CGI masterpieces that have dominated in recent years. It's also inspired me to pick up the "Persepolis" the book - the first graphic novel I've picked up in years.
Movie Review: Artistic Accomplishment
Summary: 5 Stars
From Pixar down, the general trend in animation over the last few years has been clear. The movement is towards ever more realistic and textured canvases that paint an exquisitely detailed world in glowing shades of pure, pixellated magic. Persepolis, however, is an exception to the rule, a throwback every bit as successful as Aardman's work with clay. This largely black-and-white, defiantly undetailed and sometimes stylised film could have been made at any point since the dawn of cinema, and yet it's a thoroughly modern affair.
An autobiographical tale that was written as a graphic novel, adapted for the screen and then co-directed by its chief character, Marjane Satrapi, this is a highly personal look at a situation of real complexity. Satrapi was six, born into a prosperous Tehran home, when the Iranian Revolution swept away the Shah Of Iran and the country's autocracy was replaced with extremist rule. The war with Iraq that raged for seven years then destroyed much of Iran's wealth, and the subsequent religious crackdowns killed any hope Satrapi and her family had of democratic freedom as well.
The film is at its strongest when examining the turbulent history of Iran through Marjane's eyes. Marjane-as-a-child is one of the most appealing characters in years, happy to embrace new ideas like the latest Igglepiggle and believing herself, briefly, to be a prophet appointed by God. That's not to say that she isn't spoiled, wilful and occasionally cruel - witness Marjane and friends deciding to arm themselves with nails and torture a classmate whose father worked for the secret police. But there's an innocence and exuberance to her schemes that is endlessly charming, and having a child as our guide perfectly pitches the history for those of us who know little about Iran's murky politics. In a sense, the film is the antithesis of most modern animation: where they tell a relatively simple story using complex instruments, this uses very basic tools to tell a story about a very complex time.
The film's second act, wherein Marjane grows up alone in Austria and loses her way, is less winning but still involving, a sometimes bleak counterpoint to her earlier optimism. But if that middle section introduces something of a minor note, the tempo picks up again with her return to a transformed, more hardline Iran. Still bolshy, Marjane doesn't fit into that strictly monitored society, but it's in that defiance that she rediscovers her zest for life.
That second half provides a powerful argument that our origins shape who we become - no matter how far we travel. Marjane can't be content in Europe after being sent into exile from her home, but equally can't stomach the restrictions of an Islamic state after being raised in a free Iran and then in Europe. The film is ultimately the story of her quest to find a balance between homeland and freedom, when her nation has failed to do the same. Satrapi's willingness to acknowledge, and make fun of, her own faults makes this a story with real depth, and in these hysterical times, the sight of a young girl standing up to fundamentalist bullies is a vital counterpoint to the West's tendency to tar all Middle Easterns with the same terrorist brush.
Movie Review: Evocative and emotional storytelling
Summary: 5 Stars
"Persepolis", based on Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel, is one of those kind of films that acts not only as a well-constructed and thought-provoking film yet at the same time a reminder that animated films are not simply just for kids and parents looking to kill time or adults who are fascinated by robots and bizarre imagery like that from Japan. Its format is rather unique and indeed the method of telling a very adult and politic-centered story using an attractive visual style might seem a bit off-putting but that also makes the story stand out more and it becomes emotional without manipulative and comedic without being untasteful. In essence, it's a story about life...using pencils.
Based on novel creator and director Satrapi's life, the film follows Marjane as a young girl living in Iran. Dealing with the oppression and government control of the Shah and hoping for better days. That day comes when the Shah falls and a revolution happens but much to their dismay, the new government is just as worse with fierce laws concerning dress, speaking out about politics, music and social class of women. Marjane is sent away to Vienna but like any traumatic event, moving elsewhere doesn't mean you've entirely escaped your past and the influence of the war is just as powerful as it is anywhere.
Awhile ago, I had the pleasure/misfortune of watching another French animated film called "Renaissance", another visually-appealing film which wasn't geared towards children. Only problem was the story was incredibly dull and you remember the art style more than you remember the movie. "Persepolis" on the other hand not only has a unique style with black-and-white and more exaggerated movements and shots with occasional color sequences but the story is also intriguing. There's not much of a story so to speak and we focus on the progression and maturing of Marjane but the film never feels slow and sluggish and the story helps bring the characters to life, so to speak.
But a film concerning a war and revolution doesn't have to be depressing and indeed, there's plenty of humor to be found. Whether it's a pair of eyes poking out of a puff of exhaust Looney Tunes-style or just genuinely funny moments such as a scene concerning flushing alcohol from officers to Marjane herself as a character, the film works on many levels though I doubt kids would be into this. Only thing that didn't sit well with me is that the last 20 minutes or so don't really drag but you can tell the film's starting to slow down a bit, like a runner in a race pushing himself to the end. A weird sequence involving "Eye of the Tiger" is strangely funny but in retrospect, it's also a bit too unlike the rest of the film that it sticks out sore thumb-like.
I'd recommend watching the French dub with subtitles over the English dub since I don't mind the dub but it's rare for the English track to be better than the original track and I prefer the voices in the French one. We get some looks into the making of the film (but sadly, no feature-length commentary) but I'd recommend watching the film since it's so unlike what I normally watch in animation outside of Japan.
Movie Review: Not your typical coming of age film
Summary: 5 Stars
I had long intended both to read the graphic novel upon which this film is based and to see the film itself. As it turned out, I encountered the film before the book. I had long wanted to see it after noticing the stellar reviews it received upon its release and because of the extreme outrage the film created in the Iranian government, which repeatedly requested that various countries not allow it to be shown. I can understand why. It is an unfiltered and uncensored insider's perspective on what life inside post-revolution Iran is like. There is absolutely no question that life under the Shah was horrific. It is also absolutely certain that life after the Shah has been just as bad or worse.
I am a religious person and I certainly have no problem with anyone worrying about what God wants them to do. I have a great deal of difficulty with people who think they know what God wants other people to do. This film should not lead Americans into complacency. There are millions of fundamentalist Americans who are just as certain that they know what you or I need to do to fulfill God's will as the religious zealots in Iran. So this film should stand as a warning to us reaffirm diligently the separation between church and state. We really, really don't want religion shaping our government.
If PERSEPOLIS were merely about the dangers of religious fundamentalism taking over civil society this film might have pedagogical value but no more. Luckily, it is a witty, charming, and deeply moving account of one person's life. As Marjane Satrapi's real life story unfolds in animated form we come to feel deep compassion for the tragedy that has surrounded her childhood and youth. We are also moved by the delight and joy she finds in life despite the religious zealots who want to micro manage and tightly control her thoughts and habits. We also come to understand the impossibility of anything approaching a normal life in a society where self-appointed policemen (and the occasional policewomen) for God dominate everything. The film is filled with dozens of amazing moments illustrating the absurdities that enforced religiosity creates. My favorite may have been when Marjane goes to the black market where shifty looking men quietly hawk their wares, looking for all the world like drug dealers. But instead of heroin or pot they are selling the Bee Gees and Julio Iglesias. And you have to love it when Marjane refuses to succumb to religious pontification but instead goes back to her apartment to listen defiantly to Iron Maiden.
This is a delightfully unique film. We are used to non-animated films dealing with serious topics and as a result are somewhat steeled against them. They are simply all too familiar. But we aren't used to animation delving so deeply into such serious and profound matters, and as a result the film surprises us. The film provides us with a grim and illuminating portrait of life in Iran since the late seventies, but it does something else besides: it delights and entertains.