Persepolis (2007) May 1, 2008
Posted by gproject in : Cinema, Recently Viewed , trackbackDirected by: Vincent Paronnaud & Marjane Satrapi
Best Animation has become an Oscar category that is typically under-nominated (only three entries in 2007) and over-represented by the CGI family flicks that pack the houses over major school holidays. Every so often though, a little rebellious entry makes it in and sometimes, but not always, shows up the pack. Notably, they’re always foreign. Hayao Miyazaki did it first in 2002 by taking home the award for Spirited Away, while French animation The Triplets of Belleville grabbed a nomination in 2003. Since then, there has been little that diverts from the norm – until last year. Persepolis may not have gone home with the golden statue (Pixar’s Ratatouille came out on top), but did it matter? With a Jury Prize from Cannes and a wave of critical applause, it already had more exposure than the historical issues it presents.
A heartfelt and sometimes shockingly honest film, Persepolis follows a fascinating single life that lived through some of Iran’s most tumultuous times. Starting around the period of the Iranian Revolution in 1979, young Marjane Satrapi witnesses the oppressive rule of the Shah and the eventual public uprising that leads to civil war. Worried for her safety, Marjane’s family send her to study in Vienna, but once there she suffers a different kind of persecution which sees her apartment hopping around the country. With the chance to return home, Marjane discovers that maybe her place in the world is not where she thinks it is.
In what some considered a rather brave move, France submitted this work as its official Oscar entry for ‘Best Foreign Language Film’. In the end, it wasn’t nominated and only competed in the animation category. Yet, watching it on the big screen, you can’t help but understand the confidence put the put behind it, as the story fearlessly attacks some controversial issues and manages to innocently present the horrors of dictatorship through the eyes of its young protagonist. In terms of overcoming a potentially depressing subject matter, it more than does its job.
Like a moving picture diary, there are frequent breaks in both the action and the timeline, which often help the narrative move along without too much dwelling, but it can also give the film a bit of a disjointed feel. The ending too, comes on very quickly, and although real life does not often wrap itself up in the typical Hollywood way, I still couldn’t help but feel abandoned when the credits started to roll. Maybe I just wanted something more clear cut, and that’s really not Marjane Satrapi’s point at all.
The simple, mostly monochrome animation style is very effective. Or rather, I should say that it is made very effective by the interesting use of the visual aesthetic created for Satrapi’s graphic novels. There are no strict rules, which allow for plenty of imaginative settings and wild over-exaggerations, while the sometimes anecdotal story lends itself well to these background reconstructions and referential interpretations. Moments that occur in Satrapi’s mind usually form the most humorously animated sequences – like her description of going through puberty, the confidence-rousing ‘Eye of the Tiger’ routine, or simply the vision of being pinned to a wall by her ears. Everything from wartime fear, to love struck contentment is conveyed by a drawing style that tells it like it is: in simple black and white.
The United Kingdom will be getting the English dubbed release, and as such it is hard to comment on any translation difficulties or changes from the original French language version. Actress Catherine Deneuve is the consistent 
link, having performed the vocal for Marjane’s mother in both variations, yet there are others, most notably Sean Penn playing the father, who work just as well. The English dub also features voices from Gena Rowlands and Iggy Pop, who, along with Penn, are named in the title sequence but went uncredited for their work.
Persepolis is a sometimes sweet, sometimes deeply affecting social drama that should probably be on the school curriculum as a teaching aide. In terms of historical recreation, it is a very accessible lesson in recent Iranian political movements, although it does feature a host of themes and content that suggests this is not a film strictly for the kids, despite what you may think about animation or its 12A (a US PG-13) certificate. I couldn’t find it completely engaging though, and it was this distance that made it more educational than entertaining. The best moments are its ridiculous parodies on the strict regime - the rule-abiding life drawing class is a great example of this. Like Satrapi’s punk rock teenage years, this is a film that revels in the rebellion of it all. Oscars? Who needs Oscars?
Persepolis is currently on UK limited release.
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