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 Rated: PG-13
Starring: Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux, Simon Abkarian, Francois Jerosme
Directed by: Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud
In my opinion, Persepolis may be one of the most depressing
and annoying films for 2007. Not only is
it an animated black and white film with subtitles that bothered me, but the
constant whining by a young upper class girl who thinks the world should
revolve around her was very bothersome.
I"m sure I did not get the point as I am not up to date on the
historical significance of that period of time in the Middle East, but I
venture to say that most of those that go see the film looking for the usual
animated fare will not get it either.
To be fair to those that have a keen interest in Iran’s
historical revolutionary growth, I am giving you the studio version of what the
film is all about.
Persepolis
is a poignant story of a young girl in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.
It is through the eyes of precocious and outspoken nine year-old Marjane
(Mastroianni) that we see the people’s hopes dashed as fundamentalists take
power –forcing the veil on women and imprisoning thousands.
Clever and fearless, she outsmarts the
“social guardians” and discovers punk. Yet when her uncle is senselessly
executed and the bombs fall around Tehran in the
Iran/Iraq war, the daily fear that permeates life in Iran is palpable.
As she gets older, Marjane’s boldness causes
her parents to worry over her continued safety.
And so, at the age of fourteen, they make the difficult decision to send
her to school in Austria.
Vulnerable and alone in a strange land, she endures the typical ordeals of a
teenager. Over time, she gains acceptance and even experiences love, but after
high school she finds herself alone and horribly homesick. - Sony Classics
Even though Sony Classics offers
more in its synopsis, to tell you anymore would give away the ending and that
would be an injustice to a critical review.
I admit I am not an ordinary critic
that focus’s on unusual films and holds them most high, but one that looks at
film first as entertainment value. I did
not find the film entertaining for the masses.
Students in Middle East studies will probably get more out of the film
as well as those who are supporters of the crisis that has been ongoing in Iran for
years.
The animation in black and white is
to provide the gloom and urgency of the plight of the child, but it just made
for less enjoyment on my part. The
subtitles were sometimes hard to read due to the speed at which they talked and
the backgrounds on which they were displayed.
Most importantly, the flat animation as opposed to the more common
computer generated 3D did not work for me.
If you are going to see the film,
and you are a student of history, it would be smart to find out more about Iran in the
times in which the film is set. You may
also want to chat with your history teacher and maybe go as a class for later
discussions on the subject matter.
FINAL ANALYSIS: The film is not for everyone, especially children who will
not understand the subject matter. Persepolis is best
seen by students of History, World or Mid-Eastern Civilization and Politics.
This Reviewer's Rating:    1.5 / 5
I personally disagree; I thought the movie was fantastic. I'm also a huge fan of the source material, though. For those who don't know (I don't say this to be agressive as I liked reading a new opinion, I just say it because the reviewer's comment on the animation made me wonder whether he was aware), the movie is based on these graphic memoirs by Marjane Satrapi and the animation is exactly the same as the way the memoirs were drawn. The story is essentially exactly the same, albeit (as was necessary) condensed. I'd actually quite like to hear a review from somebody who'd read and loved the graphic memoirs but hated the movie. thanks for giving an unbiased critique concerning this film. I thought it looked a bit interesting to watch, but I'm not majoring in any of the things you listed, and I don't want my brain to work that hard when watching a movie....that's why I go to movies - to take a break from studying!!! Thanks for the review. I have to agree on this one. I saw these great reviews by critics saying it was so fabulous, but I found it hard to read the subtitles and I didn't understand half of what was going on. I actually had to go look some things up after I watched it. I think you hit it right on the money though, it is definitely for people studying history and things like that. I went to see it because I am a film major. It could work for them too - just make sure you study about the history before you watch it and wear your glasses as the text is hard to read! I don't know if I would give it such a low rating maybe a 2.5 |
