Review of Persepolis (2007) by Hans L — 07 Jun 2009

Although undeniably worthy this is sadly a forgettable memoir of director Marjane Satrapi's experiences of growing up in post-revolutionary Iran and her eventual exile to Europe. It begins in a French airport where protagonist Marjane, as an adult, is unable to board a flight to Iran.

The film then deploys the most standard of all cinematic tropes: as Marjane sits and smokes a cigarette she reminisces on her past and the events that brought her to the French airport. As a young child Marjane is spirited and outspoken and spends her time obsessing over Bruce Lee and conversing with god whilst aspiring to be a prophet.

She also competes for the childish prestige of whose family members have been imprisoned the longest under the U.S. backed Shah's regime. Her middle class family and their friends all yearn for a better life as opposition to the Shah grows.

Sadly it all goes wrong when an "illiterate and uneducated" population vote for an Islamic republic, replacing one oppressive regime with another. Fearing for their daughter's arrest and the wider consequences of such an outspoken and "unconventional" child Marjane is sent to Austria as the Iran/Iraq war unfolds thanks to Western weapons sales to both sides.

In Austria Marjane receives a traditional education whilst also learning about who she is and what she is not: a European. Despite the praise lauded on the film its structure is painfully standard in technique, such as the past being represented in monochrome and the present rendered in colour.

The film also suffers from being so subjective it distinctly lacks any genuine context to the political events engulfing Marjane. If one was kind you could argue this is because the film is from the point of view of a child but that seems simply too naive and simplistic.

It has it strengths and moments (Marjane's grandmother and her introduction to punk music) but they are too fleeting and the title remains a frustrating misnomer in that no exegesis is offered to the reference of the ancient Persian city.

If it was not about Iran, lacked the author's credibility, nor an animation one would be compelled to ask what the fuss is all about? It's simply a coming of age story. The greatest strength however is the films conclusion that to be free one must go where they are not "meant" to be.