In 1970s Iran, Marjane 'Marji' Statrapi watches events through her young eyes and her idealistic family of a long dream being fulfilled of the hated Shah's defeat in the Iranian Revolution of 1979. However as Marji grows up, she witnesses first hand how the new Iran, now ruled by Islamic fundamentalists, has become a repressive tyranny on its own. With Marji dangerously refusing to remain silent at this injustice, her parents send her abroad to Vienna to study for a better life. However, this change proves an equally difficult trial with the young woman finding herself in a different culture loaded with abrasive characters and profound disappointments that deeply trouble her. Even when she returns home, Marji finds that both she and homeland have changed too much and the young woman and her loving family must decide where she truly belongs.
Genre(s): Animation, Biography, Drama, War
Runtime: 96 minutes
Rating: 8.0/10 (20,972 votes)
Release Date: 23 May 2007
Country: France, USA
Languages: French, English, Persian, German
Company: 2.4.7. Films
Sound: Dolby Digital
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material including violent images, sexual references, language and brief drug content.
Director(s): Vincent Paronnaud, Marjane Satrapi
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Producer(s):
Tara Grace - co-producer
Marc Jousset - executive producer
Kathleen Kennedy - executive producer
Xavier Rigault - producer
Marc-Antoine Robert - producer
Vitaliy Versace - executive producer
Writer(s):
Marjane Satrapi - (comic)
Vincent Paronnaud - (scenario)
Cast:
Chiara Mastroianni - Marjane 'Marji' Satrapi, as a teenager and a woman (voice)
Catherine Deneuve - Mrs. Satrapi - Marjane's mother (voice)
Danielle Darrieux - Marjane's grandmother (voice)
Simon Abkarian - Mr. Satrapi - Marjane's father (voice)
Gabrielle Lopes Benites - Marjane as a child (voice)
François Jerosme - Uncle Anouche (voice)
Sophie Arthuys - (voice)
Jean-François Gallotte -
Arié Elmaleh - (voice)
Mathias Mlekuz - (voice)
Music: Olivier Bernet
Tara Grace - co-producer
Marc Jousset - executive producer
Kathleen Kennedy - executive producer
Xavier Rigault - producer
Marc-Antoine Robert - producer
Vitaliy Versace - executive producer
Writer(s):
Marjane Satrapi - (comic)
Vincent Paronnaud - (scenario)
Cast:
Chiara Mastroianni - Marjane 'Marji' Satrapi, as a teenager and a woman (voice)
Catherine Deneuve - Mrs. Satrapi - Marjane's mother (voice)
Danielle Darrieux - Marjane's grandmother (voice)
Simon Abkarian - Mr. Satrapi - Marjane's father (voice)
Gabrielle Lopes Benites - Marjane as a child (voice)
François Jerosme - Uncle Anouche (voice)
Sophie Arthuys - (voice)
Jean-François Gallotte -
Arié Elmaleh - (voice)
Mathias Mlekuz - (voice)
Music: Olivier Bernet
Posted on: December 11, 2007
December 28th, 2008
This animated autobiographical film follows the life journey ofdirector Satrapi. Born in 1969 she spent her youth in Tehran, heradolescence in Vienna, her college days back in Iran, then emigrated toFrance. She has been a witness to a lot of history: from life under theShah, to the Iran revolution and the first years of the eight yearIran/Iraq war, and to the repression of the Ayatollahs.
I found that there was some history to be learned here, and I doubt Iam alone in that–if I had been asked to sketch the experiences of awoman in Satrapi's situation, I would not have come up with anythingnear the truth. She is an independent minded person who had acomfortable youth, but found herself increasingly at odds with arepressive society and found the need to escape. At the heart of thestory is the distressing conflict she faces in wanting to be close toher parents and grandmother while wanting to live a life without havingto conform to strict rules. She is not a political activist but rathera person trying to resolve personal ideals in the context of politicalrealities. I imagine being estranged from your homeland is not at alleasy and this is captured in the opening scenes where Satrapi, sittingin Orly Airport, somewhat sadly muses on her past.
In general I have little patience for animation–could not make itbeyond the trailers for "Shrek" or "Toy Story." However this uniquemovie has forever changed my appreciation for the genre. Many of theimages are worthy of framing and hanging. And the animation allows forfreedoms not available to real life filming–how could you have a quickcut to the protagonist talking to God and Karl Marx? And much actioncan be compressed into a few seconds, like a hasty group retreat intothe basement during a bombing. There are some interestingsuper-impositions too, like when Satrapi is sitting and thinking aboutthe past and her young self comes bouncing across the screen. Also themusic and excellent sound effects add much.
It would be interesting to see an attempt to tell this story with realsets and actors; I bet it would not be nearly as effective.
December 29th, 2008
As a young woman, Majane reflects on her journey this far in life – ajourney that has taken her to be an outsider living in Europe but onethat she recalls starting as a nine year old girl in Tehran, Iran. Hereshe was an enthusiastic young girl raised in an intelligent and liberalfamily who were rebelling against those in power – at the expense ofsome of her family being held in prison. The celebrate when they appearto win the revolution but their hopes are dashed when fundamentaliststake control, forcing strict controls on women and putting thousands ofthose who do not conform into prison. As a teenager, Marji continues torebel but when her beloved Uncle Anouche is executed and the Iran/Iraqwar begins, live becomes increasingly dangerous.
It took me a minute to get around to seeing Persepolis because it justseemed to me that it would be a heavy, subject-driven film. It alreadyhad some camps lifting it on their shoulders and carrying it around theanimation world, even as others were protesting and dismissing it asmore anti-Iranian propaganda released as part of part of the USbuilding the case for war (hmmm – a quick dip into the message boardsreminds me why I generally stay off message boards!). I watched itrecently on a flight on my DVD player and did get a few looks fromthose sitting next to me over what I imagine was their amusement at anadult watching a cartoon. I wasn't too fussed by this though because myattention was pretty much with the film.
What the film did so well to engage me was tell a personal story but doit in a way that gave the bigger picture as well. Now I know that therewill be those that just see this as being propaganda but for me Iaccept what I am being told as being the perspective of Satrapi. She isnot making a documentary, she is telling things from her opinions –other opinions exist and these should be sought out rather than justdeciding that one successful film means that these are the facts. Thatsaid, it is hard to disagree with her presentation of things here. Itis at its most clumsy at the beginning, where the young Marji is toldstories and introduced to her revolutionary Uncle; here it is a bitmore "big picture" and less to do with her as a character, but thisdoes get better and as Marji starts to grow and become more than a pairof eyes but a pair of eyes involved in the world beyond that of herparent's flat. In this shift the film becomes much more engaging as wefollow essentially a teenager looking to have fun in this new world ofrestrictions and perhaps gender bias inherent in the extremeinterpretation of her religion.
The creation of the characters is important in making this part, andthus the bigger picture parts, of the film work as well as it did. Thiscreation is down to the animation, the dialogue and the relativeactions of the, well, relatives. In the latter two areas the writingkeeps everything feeling realistic and convincing, making it easy to bedrawn into the story and the lives on display. All those playing Marjideliver but of course for Benites this is mainly about being adorable,which she does. Mastroianni has more to do and she does it well. Thanksto the script she is presented warts and all and at times she is aspoilt and conflicted woman – putting some off no doubt but to me onlymaking the film more engaging because it does feel quite honest in itsself-reflection. Having her real life mother play her mother was a goodbit of casting and does provide some chemistry and tension between thetwo characters that compliments their performances. All the voice workis good but what I found most appealing was the animation.
Mostly delivered in black & white, without a lot of shading, theanimation is deceptively blocky but produces engaging characters whichare comic and touching. I particularly liked the way that the animationreflects the film being the memories of the teller, since we are seeingthis film inside the head of the adult Marji. How this translates isthat things are visually changed to reflect her viewers; so we have thetwo women challenging Marji being shown as snake-like in their bodies,when in love the city looks soft and the car floats Maji and her newboyfriend home while scenes of destruction are dark and imposing. It isa good way of animating because not only does it visually engage but tialso makes the material more meaningful as well.
Persepolis is not an easy sell on the face of it but the reality isthat it is a charming and really well delivered personal story thatalso plays out the modern history of Iran as a broad, inescapablebackdrop to Marji's life (which of course it is). The animation isdeceptively basic but used to compliment the telling and characters togood effect. As the makers have said – animation is not a genre but amedium and this animated film is a very good personal drama that hasthe ability to deliver is characters in a historical context.
December 31st, 2008
"Thumbs up" for the cool black-and-white animation. In this day ofblazing, computerized colors (which I also love), it was refreshing andfascinating to see artwork done in this fashion. Actually,black-and-white "cartoons" and "feature films," I don't believe, havebeen done since the 1930s…..so it's been awhile.
That's the good news. The bad news is the story and main character,both of which (whom) I found very unappealing. To put it bluntly: thelittle girl and then grown woman, "Marjane Satrapi," is a pain in thebutt, not a sympathetic "good guy" to root for…..just reallyannoying. The story is filled with mainly left-wing clichés and biasagainst anything American or Western (which includes "Biblical") -nothing new there, film-wise. For example, her grandpa who was devoteeof Lenin/Marxism was a great man. The fact that Sean Penn was involvedwith this Iranian story should tell you something.
Then again, even without any politics, it wasn't a likablecoming-of-age film, because the main character rants too much.Filmmakers just can't resist rebels-with (or without)-a-cause whobadmouth her parents, and that certainly describes "Marji." That'scute? No, it isn't and it's one reason this film bombed at the boxoffice and at DVD rental stores. At least the movie gives some of thegood-and-bad of making rebellious choices in life. Kudos for that. Thestory is not all bad and some of the characters are very likable, justnot the spoiled girl.
Note: I was shocked they used white subtitles up against theblack/white drawings. Even on Blu-Ray, I had to really look hard toread them at many points. That was just plain stupid on the part of thedirector and did help make the film appealing, either.
January 1st, 2009
At least the Golden Globes put this film up against other great foreignfilms like Lust, Caution; 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days; The KiteRunner; and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. It certainly belongs inthat group rather than films like Ratatouille or Surf's Up as theAcademy Awards determined.
It is is the first animated film I recall seeing since Fritz the Cat,and it was fantastic.
Of course, my opinion is colored by the fact that I abhor anytotalitarian or religious regime as view them as crimes againstfreedom. I can certainly see why Iran wouldn't like this film as itmakes them look even worse than the Bush regime. They certainlyimprisoned and killed more people, but not by much.
The black and white was perfect for the film, and the changing lightreally set the mood. The story was told perfectly with a mixture ofpolitics, humor and personal growth and tragedy. It was simplymagnificent.
January 6th, 2009
I started, stopped, and restarted this movie several times in thebeginning… it was subtitled, black and white, sounded like somepolitical subject matter and I didn't have high hopes.
… but I kept coming back because the little girl character wasportrayed so atypically. She was acting like any little girl that Imight come across my own street … not one in a culture with asignificantly different culture/lifestyle/political system. The filmskillfully moves through about 20 years of her life during which Iranunderwent major repressive changes.
I don't know whether the writer (Marjane Satrapi) purposefullywesternized the character or whether the depiction is accurate (myguess is that it's mostly the latter). She said in interviews that shewanted to let people know that we're all the same – Iranians are notthe stereotyped militants that we see on the news everyday.
Well, irregardless, the movie is hard to stop watching once you getinto it. Her life is so up and down, you want to see what's going tohappen next. The movie feels like it ends a bit prematurely without anyfurther info, but you can read about the real life Marjane on theInternet.
It's a drama-oriented animated film and I'd say it's definitely worthwatching.