Review of Persepolis (2007) by Panta O — 05 Jul 2013

This French animated film based on Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel of the same name. The film was written and directed by Satrapi with Vincent Paronnaud. I understand how popular was the book in France, following the story a young girl as she comes of age against the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution. France had its share of involvement during the Iranian revolutionary times, and somehow the audience was very sympathetic to the film which ends with Marjane as a 24-year-old expatriate in Paris.

The film was co-winner of the Jury Prize at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. In her acceptance speech, Satrapi said "Although this film is universal, I wish to dedicate the prize to all Iranians." The film was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, but lost to Ratatouille.

Cinematography presented in the black-and-white style of the original graphic novels was explained by Marjane so the place and the characters wouldn't look like foreigners in a foreign country but simply people in a country to show how easily a country can become like Iran. The present-day scenes are shown in colour, while sections of the historic narrative resemble a shadow theatre show. The Iranian government-connected organisation Iran Farabi Foundation sent a letter to the French embassy in Tehran stating, "This year the Cannes Film Festival, in an unconventional and unsuitable act, has chosen a movie about Iran that has presented an unrealistic face of the achievements and results of the glorious Islamic Revolution in some of its parts" but despite all of the objections, the Iranian cultural authorities allowed limited screenings of the film in Tehran, albeit with six scenes censored due to sexual content.

I am sorry to say that this critically acclaimed animated autobiography missed to involve me into the events which were told in a storytelling style which was nothing out of average. I will still give it a positive score... for the effort!