Persepolis (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
'Persepolis', a French animated film directed by Vincent Paronnaud & Marjane Satrapi, tells the poignant coming-of-age story of a precocious & outspoken Iranian girl as she struggles to understand both the Islamic Revolution, and her place in the world. Though the tone & pace of the story is somewhat uneven, I enjoyed this cartoon-for-adults very much. Marjane Satrapi has quite the tale to tell.
10 yr. old Marjane thought she had the world at her feet. Why shouldn't she? She has her entire family nearby. She did well in school. She enjoyed beating up on the boys, etc. But on one fateful night in 1979 (the Shah of Iran is defeated), her perspective changed forever. The 'new' Iran (ruled by Islamic fundamentalists) represses her and all her people. Bombs are going off. Family members are disappearing. Boys & girls have to use different doors at school. And females are forced to cover herself from head to toe in dark robes, etc. As each year goes by, 'Marji' becomes more infuriated at her country's situation. Scared that their instigating daughter could suffer imprisonment or death, Marji's loving parents send her to Europe to study for a (hopefully) better life.
However, things don't go as easily as Marji would have liked. In Vienna (and then other countries), Marji struggles to assimilate to a different culture. Nobody like or 'gets' Iranians. And because the people (of varying authority) treat her abrasively, she treats them poorly, as well. One would even call her a rebel. Troubled, Marji comes home to Iran. She's initially happy to see her family; including her beloved grandma. Marji even marries. But can her return ever bring her the innocence & happiness she once had as a child?
What's so great about 'Persepolis' is that while it's deep, affecting & powerful, it's also animated. In this medium, we can still learn about the conditions in Iran. We can still feel for the main character(s). We can still witness death & destruction. And we can still laugh at some adult humor. Because it's animated, it's easier to swallow, and more enjoyable to experience. Another reason the film thrives is that in an hour & a half, I was left wanting more. If this were live action, the flow of the editing would have caused this exact same story to end up well over 2 hours. It would have been both heavy-handed and overlong.
Some of the humorous segments don't work as well as the dramatic ones. I didn't love the ending. Ha, I wasn't even crazy about Marjane! BUT ... her story, the telling of it, & its execution is truly excellent. Good things happen for her, bad things happen 'because' of her, and it ALL felt very, very real. Encompassing traits of a personal memoir, an interesting melodrama, & a biting comedy, 'Persepolis' finds a good balance, and is a very appealing movie to behold.
10 yr. old Marjane thought she had the world at her feet. Why shouldn't she? She has her entire family nearby. She did well in school. She enjoyed beating up on the boys, etc. But on one fateful night in 1979 (the Shah of Iran is defeated), her perspective changed forever. The 'new' Iran (ruled by Islamic fundamentalists) represses her and all her people. Bombs are going off. Family members are disappearing. Boys & girls have to use different doors at school. And females are forced to cover herself from head to toe in dark robes, etc. As each year goes by, 'Marji' becomes more infuriated at her country's situation. Scared that their instigating daughter could suffer imprisonment or death, Marji's loving parents send her to Europe to study for a (hopefully) better life.
However, things don't go as easily as Marji would have liked. In Vienna (and then other countries), Marji struggles to assimilate to a different culture. Nobody like or 'gets' Iranians. And because the people (of varying authority) treat her abrasively, she treats them poorly, as well. One would even call her a rebel. Troubled, Marji comes home to Iran. She's initially happy to see her family; including her beloved grandma. Marji even marries. But can her return ever bring her the innocence & happiness she once had as a child?
What's so great about 'Persepolis' is that while it's deep, affecting & powerful, it's also animated. In this medium, we can still learn about the conditions in Iran. We can still feel for the main character(s). We can still witness death & destruction. And we can still laugh at some adult humor. Because it's animated, it's easier to swallow, and more enjoyable to experience. Another reason the film thrives is that in an hour & a half, I was left wanting more. If this were live action, the flow of the editing would have caused this exact same story to end up well over 2 hours. It would have been both heavy-handed and overlong.
Some of the humorous segments don't work as well as the dramatic ones. I didn't love the ending. Ha, I wasn't even crazy about Marjane! BUT ... her story, the telling of it, & its execution is truly excellent. Good things happen for her, bad things happen 'because' of her, and it ALL felt very, very real. Encompassing traits of a personal memoir, an interesting melodrama, & a biting comedy, 'Persepolis' finds a good balance, and is a very appealing movie to behold.