Persepolis
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Directed by: Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi
Starring:
Chiara Mastroianni - Marjane 'Marji' Satrapi, as a teenager and a woman
Catherine Deneuve - Mrs. Statrapi, Marjane's mother
Danielle Darrieux - Marjane's grandmother
Simon Abkarian - Mr. Satrapi - Marjane's father
Gabrielle Lopes - Marjane as a child
Persepolis is a sad reminder that we're constantly ignoring the vast potential of hand-drawn animation. 3D computer-animation has become the new standard and while some like the geniuses over at Pixar continue to push the boundaries of that standard, they still cling to the comfortable world of computer animation which they, in all fairness, helped to forge. But what of 2D animation? Walt Disney and his studio didn't even scratch the surface and Persepolis' beautiful hand-drawn style is yet another example animation isn't just for family films and that it can manage story-telling at its most beautiful.
Based off the autobiographical graphic novel by co-writer/co-director Marjane Satrapi, Perspolis tells the story of a Marjane’s life from child-to-adulthood through the times of the Iran-Iraq war and Islamic Revolution. It's a story filled with humor, sadness, introspection, and most importantly, honesty. Its fascinating setting serves as a grim reminder of the Islamic Extremism behind the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and that such fundamentalism, while a distant reality from our country, is still a horrific reality in the Middle East, especially for women. I loved watching Satrapi constantly struggle to find her own identity against such a radically changing environment. It can be heartbreaking to see the repression visited upon her by the Islamic fundamentalist government, but it can also be hilarious as we see her constantly eschew the pre-modern culture of 1980s Iran in favor of the modern-American pop-culture iconography of the Bee Gees and Bruce Lee.
The film's biggest failing is Satrapi's recollection of her time in France. Watching her depression overwhelm her as she tries to find an identity without a country or a family smacks too much of general youth-aimlessness and while that is in line with the story's fundamental honesty, it's a belabored point and one that could stand some trimming when compared with the stronger story arcs.
Persepolis is a valuable story and one served well by its animation because it echoes not only the style of Satrapi's own drawings, but brings fresh life into her art and reminds us that when given a valuable story, hand-drawn animation can bring provide such vivacity and honesty that no other form, no matter how technically revolutionary, will suffice.
Words by
Matt Goldberg
2.18.08