Persepolis
Dec. 2nd, 2007 11:25 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
roginI went to see the new Persepolis movie yesterday. I already knew, that I would most likely love it, because I think Marjane Satrapi a genius ever since I read the comic books, but still, it was even better than I had anticipated. I really hope, they get an Oscar for that movie.
Persepolis is an autobiographical Comic book by Marjane Satrapi. She grew up in Teheran in a liberal, educated environment, during the mullah revolution. When she was fourteen her parents sent her to Austria, because they were afraid, that she might get in trouble with the regime sooner or later.
She grew up alienated in Vienna, and after ending up living on the streets, returned to Iran, where she got depressive at first, but then managed to get a grip on her life.
The cool thing about the comic book is, how it is funny, cynical, heartbreaking and political at the same time. I love how she describes deeply personal impressions against the historical background. Like Marjis talks with god as a child (thinking he looks a lot like Karl Marx and wanting to become the last prophet of the galaxy) and then the stories about how absurd it was for all the little girls in her school to disappear behind a veil from one day to the other.
Then there are passages, where I was close to crying, like when Marji is the last person, to visit her beloved uncle in Evin prison, or when she has to leave her parents and friends behind to go to Vienna.
That personal history of Iran is reason enough to read/watch it, but then there is also, how Marjane describes herself. Sometimes she is mean, lazy, even thoughtless, than again brilliantly brave and super smart, just seems so honest and un-artificial.
I read a critique about the movie, that said it was so inhomogeneous. That´s probably something I like best about the books and the movie. It´s a real story, funny, tragic, stupid, brilliant, not trying to create a perfectly clear description of the regime or history, but a personal human impression.
She grew up alienated in Vienna, and after ending up living on the streets, returned to Iran, where she got depressive at first, but then managed to get a grip on her life.
The cool thing about the comic book is, how it is funny, cynical, heartbreaking and political at the same time. I love how she describes deeply personal impressions against the historical background. Like Marjis talks with god as a child (thinking he looks a lot like Karl Marx and wanting to become the last prophet of the galaxy) and then the stories about how absurd it was for all the little girls in her school to disappear behind a veil from one day to the other.
Then there are passages, where I was close to crying, like when Marji is the last person, to visit her beloved uncle in Evin prison, or when she has to leave her parents and friends behind to go to Vienna.
That personal history of Iran is reason enough to read/watch it, but then there is also, how Marjane describes herself. Sometimes she is mean, lazy, even thoughtless, than again brilliantly brave and super smart, just seems so honest and un-artificial.
I read a critique about the movie, that said it was so inhomogeneous. That´s probably something I like best about the books and the movie. It´s a real story, funny, tragic, stupid, brilliant, not trying to create a perfectly clear description of the regime or history, but a personal human impression.
So how was the movie? It tells the whole story, both volumes of Persepolis in one. Some passages are the same, some strips are left out and some new stories added. So, you will find some cool new stuff, even if you already read all her comic books.
The pictures are pretty much the same as in the comic, simple,mostly black and white but super funny and expressive.
All in all the movie was not as funny as the comic books, because it had only a few of the little everyday anecdotes and focused on the more important developments in Marjanes life. It might even seem a bit rushed, if you have not read the comics.
What i liked a lot about the movie, was that Marjis cool, inspiring grandmother had a larger part and some extra stories. Also it takes the story a little farther down the road and ends with Majanes second emigration to France.
Of course the movie is already forbidden in Iran, but I so hope it´s just like Marjane Satrapi said it in an Interview, that this will only make it more interesting for the Iranians to go and watch it.
Here is also a very cool Interview with Marjane Satrapi, unfortunately in german
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=257509928&blogID=315318644
The pictures are pretty much the same as in the comic, simple,mostly black and white but super funny and expressive.
All in all the movie was not as funny as the comic books, because it had only a few of the little everyday anecdotes and focused on the more important developments in Marjanes life. It might even seem a bit rushed, if you have not read the comics.
What i liked a lot about the movie, was that Marjis cool, inspiring grandmother had a larger part and some extra stories. Also it takes the story a little farther down the road and ends with Majanes second emigration to France.
Of course the movie is already forbidden in Iran, but I so hope it´s just like Marjane Satrapi said it in an Interview, that this will only make it more interesting for the Iranians to go and watch it.
Here is also a very cool Interview with Marjane Satrapi, unfortunately in german
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=257509928&blogID=315318644