Persepolis on DVD (2007)

Powerfully moving animation.

Meako [Highly rated reviewer] , 25/04/2008

Persepolis is an animated tale about the life of an Iranian girl, Marjane, throughout the past few decades. The film begins with her sat at a French airport, preparing to return to her home, and she begins to review her life to that point. As the film flashes back to her childhood to begin the tale, the animation switches from colour to black and white, and simplifies to represent the very simple view by which a child sees the world. As the film follows her life story, the animation style becomes more complex, reflecting how our own perceptions are more complex as we age. The tale itself shows how the country of Iran went from be a free-thinking society, to the oppressive state it has become in the past decade, all through the internal political conflicts, and outside oppression and aggression. All of this is told from a personal point of view, focussing on how it affected Marjane'e life. When the film began, I didn't know what to make of it. The simple animation was nice, but seemed too simple in this age of photo-realism in animated movies. However it didn't take long for the story to connect, and the animated style all seemed to make sense. A greater degree of relaism would have pulled away, bizarrely, from the focus of the story. by keeping the images simple it allows you to absorb the well crafted life account without being distracted by glossy images. Sequences which are portrayed in silouette are the most effective images on screen, and convey the horror and forboding of the account. The film really feels like you are reading a personal journal of events through the ages, and without being too politically heavy it conveys well all the struggle a young girl had growing up as an Iranian. The film craftily layers some great moments of amusement, breaking the heavier moments, which give some scenes a kind of 'Peanuts for adults' style - usually by following a serious lesson with a quick witty scene in which the lesson learned is taken to the extreme. This clever style keeps the film from dwelling too much on the heavier aspects, and really makes Marjane seem more human. By the closure of the film you deeply care for her and her life. Powerfully moving animation.

Read all reviews

Comes second to the graphic novel

futurefabric from Surbiton , 20/08/2008

Having read Satrapi's excellent graphic novel, I eagerly anticipated this film adaptation. Especially as I knew she played a strong role in its production/direction. I assumed I was going to absolutely love it, as I had the book, but I was disappointed.

Sure, the animation is absolutely excellent – strongly stylised in monochrome like the book, but with textured backdrops, and the visual storytelling is just as adept as the original work, but what let the film down for me was the character voicing/acting and the soundtrack.

The cast includes Sean Penn, Iggy Pop and Catherine DeNeuve, so you'd hope for reasonably strong performances, but all of the characters sound so monotone and flat, lacking the life you give them in the book. This is not helped by the empty soundtrack - it all sounds a bit hollow – the actors sound rushed and almost, dare I say it, bored.

Similarly disappointing is the lacking sense of menace and forboding that is present in the novel. The sense of oppression is lost – Iran is portrayed in a whimsical and fantastical way, devoid of the atmosphere found in the book.

That said, the latter half of the film when Marjane returns to Tehran feels much more on message.

I would still recommend watching this film, but given the choice between this and the graphic novel, I'd root for the book every time.

Read all reviews

one of the best recent films

A customer from London , 16/08/2008

this film is a true 'must see'. funny, sad, informative all in one...

Read all reviews

Superb

A customer from Hove , 26/08/2008

This film is truly a beautiful translation of a beautiful comic. Just like that comic, the film is in parts tragic, harrowing, beautiful and sometimes hilarious and even just plain old goofy!! I absolutely love it.

Any problem that some people might have is with the translation - I believe the film was originally in French (again - just like the comic) and a beautiful job has been done on the translation, but sometimes it might seem that the dialogue is rushed. If you bear in mind that this occurs only so that the same resonance can be present in the English language version, it shouldn't present a problem.

What is mesmerising about this film (apart from the stunning monochromatic art) is that bits have actually been added to the film to flesh out parts that work on the printed page, but may not have worked too well on screen. It is testimony to incredible prescience that this works so well and I actually came away with more from watching this film, although that's not to say that one is better than the other.

I would urge anyone to watch this film. If you do enjoy it and haven't already, I would suggest you read the comic too. And if you love the comic as much as I did, try these comics which I consider companion pieces to Persepolis:

MAUS by Art Spiegleman

PALESTINE by Joe Sacco

PRIDE OF BAGHDAD by Brian K Vaughn

AMERICAN SPLENDOR by Harvey Pekar

Read all reviews

excellent important filmmaking

MUNCH from Gorebridge [Highly rated reviewer] , 22/08/2008

I really enjoyed this animation especially as the story with regards to the events in Iran seeen through the eyes of a developing girl was well told.

The film makes you think and i personally enjoyed every minute.

Read all highest rated reviews

One for the critics.

chazzb from Reading , 03/11/2008

As a commentary on the Iranian revolution, this is a pretty punchy way to deliver the message, but I can't help but feel that this film is being praised more for the method of delivery rather than the delivery itself.

I found it to be pretty slow-going on the whole. It's a pretty depressing film too (not that you'd expect anything else from films which document oppressive regimes).

I'd only recommend renting this if you're into the arty-farty nature of films and will want to feel like you're as intellectually enlightened as the critics would like to think they are.

Sorry to be such a spoil-sport, but there really are better films with which to spend a cold, wet winter night in.

Read all highest rated reviews