An animated film based on the graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis tells the story of a young girl in Iran during the Iranian Revolution. Through the eyes of the nine-year-old Marjane it shows how people's hopes were dashed as the fundamentalists took power and imprisoned thousands.
As a teenager, she gets sent to a school in Austria, where she falls in love with counter-culture – pop music and Nike shoes. Upon returning to Iran, however, Marjane finds herself heart-broken at the treatment of women and depressed at the situation of her family and friends.
I apologise, we feel bad, but there's no trailer available. ~Ed.
Cartoonist Marjane Satrapi penned an autobiographical series of critically acclaimed graphic novels, on which this film has been based. Persepolis tells her story as she grows up in Tehran under the rule of a tyrannical Shah and the early stage of the Iran-Iraq war. In her mid-teens (early 1980s), her family sends her to study in Vienna, where she discovers counter-culture, punk music, and ill-fated romance. Later, when she finds herself longing for the repressed simplicity of home, she returns to attend college in Iran after the Islamic revolution only to still feel like a fish out of water.
For this reviewer, Iranian history is not a topic of expertise. Thankfully, Persepolis paints a clear picture of the time period from the fresh perspective of a child/adolescent. The striking two-toned animation is simple yet effective, providing an interesting counterpoint to a highly dramatic storyline, filled with real tension and humanity.
Despite the child-like artwork, Persepolis displays a sense of maturity. By delving into her own experiences, Satrapi has created a cast of real characters and shrewdly observes their peculiar idiosyncrasies (Marjane’s straight-talking no-nonsense grandmother was a hit with the audience). Most interesting is how Satrapi openly reveals herself to have been a flawed character. Whilst in Vienna, Marjane is shunted from home to home, never really finding anywhere to fit in. The choices she makes are frequently foolish, and she never becomes a typical ‘heroine’.
Despite not shying away from the repression that her world has suffered, Satrapi provides plenty of humour and warmth. The film, although set in Iran and Austria, and made in France, belies something universally sympathetic about Marjane’s youthful pursuit of freedom.
A weakness, if we’re fussy, is that the narrative sometimes feels episodic, as if lifted too faithfully from the page.
Persepolis, winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes, blends the political and the personal with ease and clarity, creating a witty coming-of-age story, artfully rendered and recounted with warmth.
By Andrew Hedley, Flicks.co.nz
GReat movie... interesting, entertaining, informative. Loved it.
this is actually a really good movie. I have the graphic novel as well and i find it sooooo interesting. Probably because i didn't have to keep up with the subtitles. I recommend it with my life. PEACE OUT!!!!!!
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Thursday, 30th Nov 2006.
Release date: November 30th 2006.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
