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Persepolis Movie Review

Persepolis is a 2007 French animated drama film directed by Marjane Satrapi. It’s such a moving, very rich human drama that represents adult animation at its finest.

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“Never forget who you are and where you’re from“

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It is based on Satrapi’s graphic novel about her life in pre and post-revolutionary Iran and then in Europe. The film traces Satrapi’s growth from child to rebellious, punk-loving teenager in Iran. In the background are the growing tensions of the political climate in Iran in the 70s and 80s, with members of her liberal-leaning family detained and then executed, and the background of the disastrous Iran/Iraq war.

This is a rare instance of an autobiographical animated feature, not to mention that it was based on a graphic novel. It was also made by an Iranian while being a French production. All of that made this a very idiosyncratic movie both in terms of background and in terms of subject matter.

There is a lot to unravel here. Some basic knowledge of Iranian history is certainly welcome in this instance, but I personally find the movie quite understandable and relatable for everyone, not just Iranians as its themes of confused identity and complicated background make it a very emotional experience.

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I loved the granny. She is such a wonderful person and every advice that she gave to Marjane was very reasonable, sound and important. The stupidity of people leading to toxic arguments, the importance of never forgetting where you come from, and always finding the right, legal way to get out of a problematic situation are all terrific, crucial sentiments.

Some have stated that Marjane is an unlikable character to the movie’s detriment. A character’s likability should not be confused as somehow being related to the movie’s quality. In my book, she is a very relatable character. Yes, she does something wrong later on, and she is rather crude and loud in fighting for justice, but that’s only expected in such horrendous circumstances for females in Iran.

The movie is excellent for showcasing just how misogynist and intolerant the country has become in recent decades and how somebody who is very much into the Western culture would clash with their backward ideals. But she also found the coldness and excess of the West alienating, and ultimately she did not fit in either of the two. As a person who is always at odds with living in either a smaller town or a larger city, this was immensely relatable to me.

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Her parents are wonderful people. Just seeing this group of people be free in their own houses and have to conform to ridiculous laws while out in the city was heartbreaking. The film has the power to change minds and to remind everyone that Muslim people deserve the same rights as the people from the West.

Persepolis features a tremendous visual style. Being based on a graphic novel, the movie has that distinct, striking style to it that instantly remind you of the comics, thus it was perfectly adapted for the big screen. I loved seeing some scenes here that seemed like concept art. Usually, concept art would just remain concept art, but in this instance many moments retained that artistic edge.

The black-and-white color palette was also a perfect choice, the character design is uniformly terrific and some very imaginative, fantastical bits and pieces make the fullest use of its animation medium, justifying that choice as a result.

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Persepolis has that standard French comedy that works for the most part, but sometimes the movie’s dramatic and comedic moods were at odds with one another. The first half is slower, but still very good. The second half is where it reached its fullest dramatic and emotional potential. The direction is excellent, the editing is terrific and the dialogue is stellar. It’s a movie that rightfully lost the Oscar to ‘Ratatouille’, but had it won instead, I would have been perfectly fine with it as it’s so strong.

Offering a mature, moving look into Iranian history, the sense of alienation and the horrendous plight of women in Muslim countries, Persepolis is also a beautifully adapted work that features stunning, highly artistic black-and-white animation. It’s a brisk, engaging, consistently powerful drama that represents the undervalued potency of adult animation when utilized to the fullest extent.