PersepolisA revolution founded in blood can only be maintained in blood; this is the harsh revelation which comes in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution of 1979, where the good intentions of the revolutionaries are paved over by the establishment of the claustrophobic, oppressive regime to follow, and the result is that the cure turns out to be worse than the disease. As Iran experiences a drastic cultural upheaval, the young Marjane (Chiara Mastroianni) struggles to understand not only the changes, but herself as well, as her sense of identity is molded and marked by her nationality.
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Persepolis was adapted from an autobiographical graphic novel of the same name by the real-life Marjane Satrapi, chronicling her experiences in Iran at the time of the revolution, as well as the changes in the country and her time abroad in Vienna for school. It is told as a flashback from the present, where Marjane debates whether to return to Tehran. These present day sequences are shot in color, although the majority of the film--her memories--are in black and white. It is ironic that the film is in black and white, as the story deals with Marjane's own challenges with coping with the world around her, her own personality not as of yet as clearly defined. The title--Persepolis--translates as "city of Persians", the obvious analogy being that of Tehran, the capital of Iran. But the story is less concerned with the city itself than the people of it, and how their lives are upset by the authoritarian government, which imposes strict laws upon them, especially the women. Persepolis is also a story about perspective--the words sound a little alike--and how Marjane sees the world transforming around her, just as she herself transforms from a young girl into a woman. Marjane has a spirited nature, and has embraced pop culture from around the world as her own. She emulates Bruce Lee's kung fu kicks, she buys bootleg Iron Maiden cassettes, and she even pulls herself out of a spiral of depression while singing--in English--Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger". At an early age, Marjane envisioned her future where she would be a great prophet, and she dictates her laws to her grandmother (Danielle Darrieux). She indicates that she will prevent old women from suffering because it will be forbidden. The unfortunate irony is that this same approach to wiping away what the government considers undesirable is enforced after the revolution. Much of Persepolis has to do with Marjane's relationship with her grandmother, and how she teaches her how to become an intelligent, upright woman. As Marjane struggles with her conscience in her youth, she envisions God guiding her with reason. After her Uncle Anoush (François Jerosme)--once a supporter of the revolution--is executed by the new regime, she instead imagines her grandmother giving her advice.
It is not an easy thing to believe that war and terror exists when it is always something distant, always somewhere "over there" in the tumultuous Middle East; it is foreign to us in our insulated, first-world abode. War is unreal--just another headline--until you see the corpses first hand...that's when it all comes crashing down, the reality of it, and you realize that the world you thought you lived in was a lie, a creature comfort. After Marjane enters her teenage years, she becomes more vocal and outspoken in school; unfortunately, the climate is so harsh, that her mother (Catherine Deneuve) observes that this will lead to tragedy, and reluctantly requests that Marjane study abroad in Vienna, where her struggles are of a different kind. Abroad, she is identified as an Iranian, which colors the perceptions of some of those around her, as she struggles to fit in and cope with the culture shock--less shocking, as she has had the benefit of some prior Western exposure. She is homesick for her family, but feels torn about her nationality, her citizenship, how she is identified. Marjane is a city unto herself; she carries the ever rising tower of her identity on her back, as it climbs into the heavens. She tries to find community with a variety of groups of friends and even tries a few lovers, but there is an isolation which remains. Marjane returns to Iran to be close to her family--she may even have tried to convince herself that she belongs in Iran, even getting married--but still the sense of alienation remains. She is a rebel in her homeland, an outsider abroad. Only with her family is she truly at peace, but her rebellious nature against the oppression of the new government marks her as a political dissident, and they don't fair well in this story. What Marjane learns is that there are no nations made by borders, but by people; her nationality is not that of Iranian, but it is her family, who loves her unquestioningly, but are not afraid to tell her when she is wrong. Their parenting serves as the beacon of goodness in a world where Marjane struggles to cope with the madness that has consumed it. With all of this in mind, it makes the ending all the more poignant, and Marjane's choice a regrettable--but necessary--one for now.
Recommended for: Fans of a powerful biography about the Iranian Revolution, but more so about the young girl whose life was molded in the wake of these events, how her culture was changed, and the global scope of a revolution on a people. It is a story where the subjective view is crucial, because--as it is in everyone's lives--perspective matters to how events influence one's life.
It is not an easy thing to believe that war and terror exists when it is always something distant, always somewhere "over there" in the tumultuous Middle East; it is foreign to us in our insulated, first-world abode. War is unreal--just another headline--until you see the corpses first hand...that's when it all comes crashing down, the reality of it, and you realize that the world you thought you lived in was a lie, a creature comfort. After Marjane enters her teenage years, she becomes more vocal and outspoken in school; unfortunately, the climate is so harsh, that her mother (Catherine Deneuve) observes that this will lead to tragedy, and reluctantly requests that Marjane study abroad in Vienna, where her struggles are of a different kind. Abroad, she is identified as an Iranian, which colors the perceptions of some of those around her, as she struggles to fit in and cope with the culture shock--less shocking, as she has had the benefit of some prior Western exposure. She is homesick for her family, but feels torn about her nationality, her citizenship, how she is identified. Marjane is a city unto herself; she carries the ever rising tower of her identity on her back, as it climbs into the heavens. She tries to find community with a variety of groups of friends and even tries a few lovers, but there is an isolation which remains. Marjane returns to Iran to be close to her family--she may even have tried to convince herself that she belongs in Iran, even getting married--but still the sense of alienation remains. She is a rebel in her homeland, an outsider abroad. Only with her family is she truly at peace, but her rebellious nature against the oppression of the new government marks her as a political dissident, and they don't fair well in this story. What Marjane learns is that there are no nations made by borders, but by people; her nationality is not that of Iranian, but it is her family, who loves her unquestioningly, but are not afraid to tell her when she is wrong. Their parenting serves as the beacon of goodness in a world where Marjane struggles to cope with the madness that has consumed it. With all of this in mind, it makes the ending all the more poignant, and Marjane's choice a regrettable--but necessary--one for now.
Recommended for: Fans of a powerful biography about the Iranian Revolution, but more so about the young girl whose life was molded in the wake of these events, how her culture was changed, and the global scope of a revolution on a people. It is a story where the subjective view is crucial, because--as it is in everyone's lives--perspective matters to how events influence one's life.