Review of Persepolis (2007) by Robert L — 23 Apr 2012

Based upon Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel, (Satrapi also directed and wrote the film with Vincent Paronnaud), this is a highly original looking and emotionally wraught and darkly funny look at a world we've seldom had a look at before now, it's beautiful looking as well, proving 2D animation can trump computer animation when it's done right.

This tells the story of Marjane Satrapi (Chiara Mastroianni), who while in an airport terminal in Paris, looks back on her life growing up in Iran, beginning in Tehran in 1978 when she was 9 years old, and how she wanted to be a Prophet and a fighter like Bruce Lee.

However, things in Iran start to change, the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, has been overthrown during a violent and change is coming, which Marjane's father (Sean Penn) believes is for the better, while their Uncle Anouche (Iggy Pop) is released from prison for political crimes, but then Iran goes to pot when the new Islamic Fundamentalist government pose restrictions on Iran, banning rock music that Marjana loves, so she ends up moving to Vienna, but life isn't much better there.

It's a very powerful, political story, but it's benefited from some lovely, informative animation that can be quite distressing in places, it's relevant now, as Iran looked brilliant before the Ayatollah got in.

This is a one of a kind, also featuring the voices of Catherine Deneuve and Gena Rowlands.