Persepolis is quite the unexpected masterpiece of a film and I can only give it straight A's. The story is based on the life of graphic novelist Marjane Satrapi and is a coming of age story based on her own life growing up during the Iranian revolution. The film was nominated for the 2008 Oscar Award for Best Animation and has also won a wide variety of awards including Cannes Film Festival, The British Film Institute Awards, The New York Film Critics Circle Awards, as well as quite a few others
The animated film is about 90% black and white, but don't let that scare you away. Persepolis contains enormous depth- both visually as well as literally. The film is full of humor, religious insight, cultural and historical insight. Visually, the movie is like nothing I have quite seen before. If you have the opportunity to watch this on Blu-Ray, by all means do so!
As the film opens, Marjane Satrapi is just a little girl trying to learn about the world she lives in. She has enormous curiousity about the political situation in Iran. Marjane was born into a family with revolutionary ideology and quite a few of her family members are killed. The movie chronicles this young girl growing up and dealing with various issues including depression, love, Western culture and punk rock. When Marjane is a teen, her parents send her to Austria to go to school believing it will be a safer enviroment for the outspoken girl. In Austria, Marjane tries to fit in but finds that there is no one there like her and is overcome by loneliness. Later, she returns to Iran after the war and again tries to assimilate into society with little success.
Everything about this film is absolutely top notch and it receives my highest recommendation. This movie and Marjane's story will touch almost any viewer while simultaneously making him or her think. Although this visually intensive movie takes places in a world most people in Western society cannot truly understand, the film is chock full of themes and emotions that are universal.
