Hype: Persepolis is a movie that I have been waiting a while to see. What first drew me to this film is the artistic style of the animation. Then I found out it was a foreign film and I wanted to see it even more. I was also able to find out that Persepolis is actually a graphic novel, that was written by the main character. In fact Persepolis is actually based on the writers life. I'm not completely sure what the plot is, but the reviews for Persepolis have been amazing and I really look forward to seeing it.
Initial Review: Persepolis is the story of a young girl, Marjane Satrapi (Marji for short), who grows up in Iran during the Iranian Revolution. Growing up Marji becomes more and more obsessed with the government. Soon the Islamic Fundamentalist come into power and place the citizens under strict rules. Some of the things the citizens are restricted to are: no parties, the types of clothing they can wear, and the music they can listen to. Of course Marji wants nothing to do with this and wears a jacket over her school uniform that deals with punk rock and buys music on the black market. Marji's family worries about her so they send her to Austria .
While in Austria, Marji struggles with life and finding a way to fit in. She ends up making new friends, falls in and out of love and actually ends up homeless because she gets cheated on. Marji ends up going back to Iran when she almost dies of bronchitis while living on the streets. While back in Iran, she still is not happy with the government. Marji ends up marrying this guy she started dating, against her mothers wishes. After about a year of marriage, Marji decides she no longer loves him. After the divorce Marji ends up once again leaving the country, this time for good.
The movie Persepolis has a lot going on during it. A lot of the scenes are short and come and go very quickly. There were a few scenes that I really enjoyed. Like at the beginning when Marji and her friends put nails in between their fingers, Wolverine-style, and chase after a school mate just because he is the child of a government official. Another fun scene is when Marji breaks out into "Eye of the Tiger" and just starts singing and dancing.
Persepolis isn't for everyone. It's a movie that I enjoyed watching and am glad I got to see, but it's not one I'm going to watch multiple times. Persepolis moves pretty slow for only being an hour and a half long, I think this is because of the short scenes. If you are interested in learning about Iran and it's history during the 80's and 90's than this is a film for you. I can see why all the critics enjoyed it, but Persepolis is definitely not a movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Overall I was satisfied with Persepolis and would recommend at least renting it.
Repeat Viewings: N/A
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