Review of Persepolis (2007) by Noah Abraham G — 12 Oct 2012

I read Marjane Satrapi's "Persepolis" books when I was twelve years old, a few months before I saw the movie. I must have reread those books a hundred times by now. They are not only my favorite comic books of all time, but my favorite books period, right up there with "The Somnambulist" and "The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet." And so what if the movie can't live up to the books? That would take five hours, and who wants that? Besides me, of course.

"Persepolis" tells the true story of Marjane Satrapi (Chiara Mastroioanni) as she grows up in post-revolutionary Iran. At first the story is told through the eyes of a young girl, as she is given context by her parents (Catherine Deneuve and Simon Abkarian/Sean Penn in the English version) and her Uncle Anouche (Francois Jerosme/Iggy Pop) but as she grows older she is able to interpret events herself. Her grandmother (Danielle Darrieux/Gena Rowlands) remains her moral compass as she goes from Iran to Austria and back again.

The acting in this film is top notch, although the French version is vastly superior to the English. As should be expected by any biopic, the characters feel real, and even the minor parts are full of life and energy. Especially good are Mastroianni as Marjane and Darrieux as her grandmother. The scenes the two share together are among the film's best, discussing morality and history in a way that never feels forced, but always comes across as deep.

The film is probably one of the most beautiful films you will ever see. The books never bothered with realism, preferring to give a stylistic, symbolic look to the whole thing. While the film does have more elements of realism to it, the basic concept remains the same, and it is gorgeous. Every frame is a delight to look at, even when showing some of the worst atrocities.

The film is also very funny, so don't believe people who call it humorless. Granted, some of it is black comedy, but the film isn't afraid to delve in some more cartoonish moments. The scenes in Austria are probably the most broadly comedic, along with a delightful montage set to an interesting rendition of "Eye of the Tiger." Though the film deals with serious subjects, it also realizes how real life works- humor exists even in the darkest of times. The narration and cartoonish animation help with this.

That said, the film simply can not hope to live up to the books. A lot of important parts of the story are cut (although Satrapi herself was one of the film's directors). An important part of the first book is that Marjane believes herself to be the last prophet, a point glossed over by the film. Interesting, albeit unnecessary, subplots such as the tragic life of the Satrapis' housekeeper are cut completely. The worst sufferer of the transition from book to film, however, has to be the time spent in Austria. While a full half of the second book was dedicated to this, the film rushes through it, only stopping to tell a fraction of the stories. Complex ideas are simplified, great vignettes are removed, and a lot of the best parts of the book are lost. If I were a more cynical man, I'd go so far as to say that this film is a terrible adaptation.

I am not that much of a cynic, however. At the end of the day, an adaptation has to retain the spirit of the source, if not the letter, and has to be able to stand on its own as a movie. And Persepolis passes both tests with flying colors. It's a masterpiece, plain and simple, and deserves a revered place in film history. It's one of my favorite films and should be seen by all who have a love for the medium.