Persepolis

Let's do some word association. Say Iran and you probably envision bearded mullahs and "axis of evil", but say Persia and much different associations come to mind. This tension forms the backdrop to Persepolis, the animated film based on Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical comics about her coming of age in Teheran and Vienna, a return to Iran, and then her final leavetaking for Paris in 1992. As Marjane's voiceover tells us, this was the last time she saw her beloved grandmother--"freedom comes with a price", she says. Marjane's story begins in the closing days of the Shah's regime, followed by a brief period of hope before the oppressive nightmare of the Islamic revolution. We see the tragic history of 20th-century Iran through her eyes, as she reminisces. We experience her rage, determination and humorous take on things. Satrapi is a clever satirist, and it's not surprising that the film was condemned by the Iranian government as "Islamaphobic".


The Satrapi family are resisters, first resisting the Shah and then the Ayatollah. And it's not just the men. The black headscarves that Iranian women are required to wear comes to signify the subtle tug-of-war between the Satrapi women and the authorities. Another means of resistance (and source of escape) comes through music and there are times when Persepolis seems like a rock musical. Marjane haggles with shady characters for tapes of banned Western bands, and Marjane and her friends debate who's better: Abba or the Bee Gees? In one tragicomic scene Iron Maiden becomes the soundtrack to the Iran/Iraq war raging outside the Satrapi family's window. There's also a hilarious sequence featuring Marjane and a group of her friends dancing (Rocky-like) to "Eye of the Tiger". In addition to this music, the film features an outstanding caberet-like score by Olivier Bernet which provides much of the dramatic impetus. The voices are well done and feature Catherine Deneuve as the voice of Marjane's mother.


The animation is deceptively simple. It's sometimes starkly minimalist and other times downright baroque. Satrapi and her collaborator Vincent Paronnaud do a wonderful job of conveying a great deal of information with small, whimsical touches. Animation is limiting, but watching this I was reminded of things that animation can do that live action can't -- by the use of caricature and skewed perspective. During the Vienna section -- where adolescent Marjane experiences a series of unfortunate relationships -- her Germanic boyfriend Markus's face morphs into a disco ball. This clever touch shows Marjane's perception of her new beau, and clues us in that her perspective may be an illusion.


Persepolis is certainly a classic coming of age story, but it's also a tribute to Marjane Satrapi's family. While she is voluntarily exiled to Vienna, she can't understand the disgust that her nihilistic European friends have for their families. They complain about having to spend Christmas with the family, while she longs to be back home. Many scenes convey nostalgia for happier times in Iran and for family members who lost their lives. In an early scene, little Marjane's father explains how the Shah first came to power (oil had something to do with it) and why members of their family had been imprisoned or executed. There is an important subplot involving a Communist uncle -- Uncle Anoush. He takes a special shine to Marjane, and she's allowed to visit him in prison the night before he's executed. This encounter seems to haunt Marjane's life thereafter. Persepolis reminds us that idealogies come and go, but the bonds of family endure.