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The animation style isn’t groundbreaking, and there’s certainly nothing new about wars in the Middle East, but Persepolis is a brilliant film, utterly original and completely fascinating. 

It’s the story of war in the Middle East, of Iran’s tumultuous modern history. From overthrowing the Shah to the war with Iraq, we see the politics of an unstable country through the eyes of a politically active family. The youngest of the family is Marjane, and at the opening of Persepolis, she is a young girl watching the violence around her with the kind of whimsy and detachment that only children possess. As her parents become embroiled in dangerous protests, Marjane delightedly stomps around the house yelling “Down with the Shah!” and enticing other children to attack a boy whose father is on the wrong side of politics. Her antics are just that – antics. Set against the proverbial war-torn country, however, the situation is both endearing and dramatic.

Marjane grows, and is sent away by her parents to Vienna, where it is safer. We then see her develop into a young woman, battling the status of outcast that European life brands her with because of her Iranian background. Eventually she returns to Iran, but only long enough to discover where her real place is.

Based on the comics by Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis embodies the witty, quirky narrative style that made Satrapi famous and much admired, not to mention award-winning. It tackles both the utter silliness of childhood and the devastation of war with equal deft and style. The film, like the comics, is in black and white, and therein lies a great deal of the charm. Persepolis manages to walk the tightrope of loyalty to the comics all the while infusing its own wit and originality. The dreamlike sequences of the comic are here, brought to new heights by the creativity of the animation team (which includes Satrapi). In one instance, Papa tells little Marjane the story of the Shah’s rise to power, and the tale is illustrated with a marionette stage play - magical realism at its best.

Because the first half of the film is immersed in a war, there is the obligatory violence. Here again the film establishes itself as a master of storytelling – it does not rely on graphic violence to make a point. The blood and gore is there, but oftentimes it is masked behind the black and white format, an elegant outline of violence that does not disgust, but directs the viewers feelings of anger at the perpetrators, where it belongs. A masterful stroke.

The first half of the film is, in my opinion, the best. Using the war as a window into the lives and politics of the Iranian people, it is deeply engrossing and yet funny. The most poignant moments are here, including the scene where Marjane’s parents sent her away to Europe. The music, which deserves mentioning for utter loveliness, is at its peak in this moment.

If the first half is a tale of the troubles of her people, the second could be described as a struggle against stereotypes and antiquated laws for the identity of a woman. It is, quite possibly, more accessible than the first half (exposition isn’t needed to understand the maturation process, whereas a broken country could be hard to grasp for some. As an example, the etiquette of the veil is not explained in the film as it is in the comic, and that may throw some). Marjane’s plight here is an archetypical girl finding herself. However, the method of storytelling remains the beautifully original thread, linking the two halves, making them both shine in their own way. The “Eye of the Tiger” scene proves that without a doubt.

The DVD comes with a few bonus features. “The Hidden World of Persepolis” is a making-of tour of the film (finishing off with a hilarious bit about the voice acting behind the “Eye of the Tiger” scene). Also included is commentary on specific bits about the film (and while those were good and gave wonderful insight into both the film and comic, it was a bit disappointing to see that the commentary wasn’t for the whole film). There is a feature that compares four animatics to the finished film, with commentary, and the Cannes press conference Q and A. 

Lastly there is a “Behind the Scenes of Persepolis” featurette. Made for the American audiences, this featurette is the most polished of them all, and has the distinction of being the only bonus feature in English. It shows us a great deal of the making-of stuff from “The Hidden World of Persepolis”, but focuses on the English dub of the film (which stars, among others, Iggy Pop). This featurette is wonderful and was very interesting for me to watch, as I viewed the film in French (French is the factory setting for the film).

Wonderful, engrossing, poignant, thought-provoking – all good ways to describe the film, and yet not nearly enough. is a film that will stick with you forever, in mind and heart.

5