Fig. 1. Persepolis poster.
Persepolis
(2007) is an animated biography directed by Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane
Satrapi, it is an adaptation of Satrapis four-part graphic novel which is based
on her life. The animation explores Satrapi’s experience growing up in Iran
during the revolution and the war, it is largely in black and white making it
simple yet very elegant, with scenes that are funny and a joy to watch, to
scenes which are moving and filled with emotion.
The animation starts with the story of Marjane, a curious
little girl who asks a lot of questions. The story shows her journey growing up
in a difficult time, members of her family are imprisoned and later her Uncle
is executed. It shows the change in Iran, the religious fundamentalists rise in
power and the effect it had on people’s lives in Iran. Marjanes parents send
her to Vienna out of fear, while there she makes friends with a group of
nihilist teens that cause her quite a bit of confusion. The story focuses on
her memories in a poetic fashion, while still introducing political history,
for example Marjane recalls her grandmother stuffing her clothes with jasmine
so she would smell better.
The story also deals with Marjanes love life, the ups and
the downs in almost a comedic fashion. A scene in which Marjane remembers a
partner who cheated on her, involves the audience seeing a completely different
side of the ex. When you first meet him he appears to be the perfect guy but on
recollection of her memory he looks like a terrible partner, even his
appearance is altered. This might possibly be stating that love is blind, so
when you gaze upon the person you love you see no flaws, it is only after you
are outside of the love you can see them for who they really are.
The West at times in the animation is perceived as cruel,
people judge Marjane because of her homeland, in one scene she makes a
statement that people think that she is a savage because she is from Iran,
while the memory of her grandmother is telling her to remember who she is. The
animation deals with how people are judged based on their place of birth, it
shows how the cultures are vastly different and how confusing it can be for
someone who is an outsider, someone who will never feel like they belong.
The animation has a lot of comedy throughout it as well
which offers a break from the serious nature of the situation, in one scene
Marjane who is now a teenager walks down a dodgy street looking to buy a
cassette from some shady-looking men who conceal items in their jackets, it
then cuts to her playing air guitar to Iron Maiden. The beginning of the film
is also filled with humour as it feels that we are really experiencing it from
a child’s perspective, which is a good quality as usually films that are based
in politics usually have an adults view whereas this takes more of a childlike
approach.
Overall I enjoyed this animation, it had a great style
that was simple yet elegant and it told a story which was interesting and
engaging. In a way the animation shows that the enduring influence and love
from the family is a powerful thing that allows people to remain tenacious. On
the same note it also shows that the tides to family and homeland can affect
how we as people are perceived, The West at times in the animation comes across
as cruel but at the same time it is the place in which Marjane finds her voice
and grows as an individual.
Illustration List:
Figure 1. Persepolis poster. (2007) From: Persepolis, Directed by: Vincent Paronnaud & Marjane Satrapi [Film still] At: http://www.sparehed.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/persepolis-poster-1.jpg
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