Persepolis
2007 · Directed by Vincent Paronnaud, Marjane Satrapi
Original language: French
- animation
- drama
The story
In 1970s Iran, Marjane 'Marji' Satrapi 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.
What it’s like
Stark black-and-white animation with hard-edged ink lines and flat, high-contrast shapes, so that night scenes sink into deep inky shadow and snow or daylight glares almost white. Compositions are often simple and frontal, with figures placed against plain grounds, and the frame cuts sharply between tender domestic interiors, crowded streets and bursts of stylized fantasy. Sound carries much of the weight: a warm, wry score, pop and punk on cassette, the wail of sirens and bomb alarms, and the dry murmur of family talk over tea. The vibe is bittersweet and sharp-witted, a coming-of-age story with an unsentimental edge that moves briskly, with dark humour undercutting grief. Its people change across the film from fierce, rebellious childhood toward a guarded, rueful adulthood, shaped by loss and displacement. Intensity is moderate: war and state violence appear in brief, startling images, including executions and bloodshed rendered simply, without lingering gore, and some frank talk of adult themes. It suits a late-night watch or a thoughtful weekend, and suits viewers who want an intelligent, humane film about childhood under political upheaval.
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