BSA206 Persepolis.

Persepolis (2007) is a French-Iranian animated film that depicts the life of a young Iranian woman who grew up during the Iranian revolution. It was directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud.



The film is based on a comic book series by Marjane Satrapi, and the animation follows the graphic novel-esk style.
Seeing as the plot is told amidst the backdrop of the Iranian revolution, the obvious themes of war are present. Themes of oppression, revolution and the danger of death remain throughout the film.
Even when the main character leaves Iran for France, these themes seem to follow her.
She becomes friends with french students who entertain notions of revolution with their refusal to conform.

When she becomes homeless, the threat of death remains very real for the character despite being in a country that is seen as much safer than Iran.

There are also themes of religion and, by extension, religious oppression towards women, non-believers or simply anyone who the seems to threaten the ideals of those in charge.












However, I think that although the obvious themes of war are ever-present and obvious in the story, some of the most important themes in Persepolis are more subtle.

The theme of identity and family plays a huge part in the story. In France, the young woman struggles with whether she is Iranian or French. Initially, she denies her Iranian heritage out of fear of being rejected. She later realises that she shouldn't be ashamed of being seen as an Iranian.





Family plays a huge role in the film. France is lonely for the main character because she has left her family behind in Iran. Family members and friends die as the film progresses, reminding the audience of the inner conflict faced by the main character as she struggles with the decision to either sacrifice staying with her family for a better life, or to stay with her family in a country where she will never be free.



Overall, I would recommend Persepolis to others to watch. I think that the film has a lot of humanity. I also think that the story is told in a very simple way that feels very relatable to the audience even if they are fortunate enough to have never had to have lived in a country run by an oppressive regime. Some viewers might find the film quite educational if they were interested in Iranian politics, while other's might find it eye-opening as the film makes it very easy to empathise with people who live in a state at war.



Stylistically, the animation is really creatively done. The use of colour and composition tells the story as much as the dialogue. Anyone who enjoys watching creative animated films should take a look at Persepolis.