Persepolis (2007)

PERSEPOLIS
autobiographical/drama/animation
4.5 out of 5 stars

PLOT
Persepolis is based on Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novels of the same name. This coming- of- age film follows Marjane from child to adult during the Islamic Revolution. She starts out as an innocent child witnessing first hand the effects of political regression in her homeland of Tehran. A true rebel, she refuses to conform to the regime's rules and has strong opinions on the fundamentalist's actions. With the upheaval of war growing stronger Marjane's family decides to send her to Vienna, Austria to get a European education. Here she finds herself struggling to find her own identity in a country with conflicting cultures and deals with other trials associated with adolesence. After major disappointments she ultimately needs to figure out where she belongs.

ACTING
The character's in the film were very realistic. Especially Marjane's grandmother who took on a feminist view and was portrayed as a strong, independant woman. Marjane's character had many layers to her personality which gave a clear idea of how she viewed the world. All character's were expressively voiced and contained a raw emotion that brought the character's to life.

CINEMATOGRAPHY, MUSIC SCORE, CAMERA SHOTS, EDITING, ETC.
The film stayed very true to the novel in that it was in black and white except for the "present day" which was depicted in colour and some scenes resembling a shadow theatre show. The stark, simple style complimented the film well and didn't take away from the storyline. If the film had been in live action I don't think that the heroine's complex thoughts would have translated onscreen. It was unique in that it wasn't just another modern day animation. The imagery was minimalistic which made it fluid, and relatable.

FINAL
I would highly recommend this film to lovers of foreign films as this film is spoken entirely in French. It's a history lesson, and often humourous tale of growing up all in one. It's a topic that is more relevant today than ever before and offers a portrait of life in a foreign culture.