Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel Persepolis made an enormous impression on me. The books depict Satrapi's girlhood: growing up during the Islamic Revolution and the Iraq-Iran War, her unhappy teenage years of exile in Vienna, and her eventual return to Iran and her final departure for France at the age of 24. Satrapiri's story is both extraordinarily moving and wildly informative. The gorgeous and faithful film adaptation, which Satrapi co-directed with artist Vincent Paronnaud, is no less remarkable.
When the film begins, nine-year-old Marjane (Chiara Mastroianni) is an adorable tyke, a tomboy with the lofty goals of becoming either Bruce Lee or a prophet. Her middle-class parents (Simon Abkarian and Catherine Deneuve) and outspoken grandmother (Danielle Darrieux) encourage the girl's spirited nature. After the fall of the Shah, when religious fundamentalists take over the nation, her family doesn't shield Marjane from the troubling developments, not even when her beloved Unlce Anouche is arrested and executed.
Soon, liberated women are forced to wear head scarves, alcohol is forbidden, and unlawful arrests are rampant. Neighbors are killed before Marjane's eyes during protests and air raids. The slow spread of dark blood on the pavement is especially vivid in an otherwise static black and white frame.
A Woundrous and Human Accomplishment
Sony Picture Classics
In the midst of history, Marjane grows up; adolescence takes place, war or no war, and Satrapi's coming of age is particularly painful. Sent to Europe for her own safety, the markedly less confident young woman is forced to navigate life on her own. Sometimes, lost and lonely, she makes bad decisions.
The struggle of the Iranian people becomes recognizable through the eyes of one girl and her family. Marjane's mother takes off her veil when she enters her apartment. She smokes cigarettes and argues with her husband, a level headed, articulate man who wears square glasses. Through Satrapi's crisp, appealing animation and straight forward story-telling, these cartoon characters -- two dimensional, black and white drawings -- become real, recognizable people. You get to know and care about them, laugh at the small funny moments and worry during the difficult ones.
