Persepolis Review

In recent years it seems the majority animated film makers have developed an unwritten norm that their films must be a CGI epic, usually with a talking animal as the lead. These films are occasionally ground breaking and frequently successful, but on rare occasions (usually outside the states) animated film makers will break the norms and an extraordinary animated film such as Marjane Satrapi’s biopic Persepolis emerges. Persepolis has a lot going against its chances for attracting a broad audience: a divergent art style, an otherworldly setting and subject matter. However, Persepolis makes its distinctions feel comfortable within minutes.

Plot

Persepolis chronicles the life of Iranian native Marjane Satrapi during the period of the Islamic revolution. As her family adjusts to a new life under the new Iraq tyranny, Marjane becomes inspired by the harsh imprisonment her uncle suffers and vows to become a rebellious and radical new prophet. Led by her sagacious grandmother, Marjane starts a diminutive, one woman rebellion that includes buying Heavy Metal music from the black market and wearing archaic Michael Jackson jackets. Unfortunately, her parents feel the war has become too violent for Marjane and send her to Vienna where Marjane begins a journey discovering who she is, what her roots mean to her, and the pitfalls of love.

The Art Style

The most conspicuous element of Persepolis is its inspired art style. Persepolis’' near colorless art style invokes a style resembling an old black and white Disney cartoon with a thin layer of new age gloss. It’s a style that isn’t fit to carry the whole film, and it does lose its initial appeal after the opening sequences. However, the style is not unrefined, but its elegance can’t halt its over simplicity and tedium.

Film Analysis

Persepolis is a film that’s propelled by its charisma and distinct subject matter rather than its art style. Marjane and her family are truly fascinating characters to watch on screen as they live their disparate lives to the fullest despite a war looming right over the shoulders that threatens to destroy everything they love. Marjane is truly the star of the film; her rebellious and charismatic antics will make the audience feel a sense of congeniality with Marjane and her family.

Marjane’s light-hearted attitude and the film's simplistic art style juxtaposed with the bleak subject matter gives the audience an unusually light-hearted perspective on a serious topic. Unfortunately, Persepolis has a hard time deciding what it wants to be. The first third of the film reads like a bleak tale with light hearted moments about a growing prophet surviving in a callous world, a quasi Anne Frank story littered with heartfelt family moments, and moments of pain fueled by barbaric violence.

However, a large majority of the film delves into the more mundane side of Marjane’s life. Her move to Vienna completely removes the unfamiliar sensationalism from the film. Instead of facing the complexities of life after a revolution, she now faces the challenges of being a teenage girl. Cheating boyfriends, appearing as normal as she can to her friends, and abhorrent landlords, normal teenage girl problems that have been explored countless times. This is where Persepolis dips into mediocrity for a brief moment, making the audience implore that the movie returns to its gratifying anomalousness soon. Despite Persepolis’' monotonous mid section, there’s no forgetting the unique perspectives it crafted and its cast of memorable characters who remain charismatic despite the darkest and mundane of times.

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