FILM - Persepolis

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Persepolis is a graphic memoir in the vein of one of Merge’s favourite story-tellers, Joe Sacco. If that doesn’t mean anything to you, well you’re just going to have to see this film and then pick up Palestine. Persepolis (pronounced:  per-sep-olis) is a graphic novel, turned animated feature which depicts the life of Marjane Satrapi growing up in Iran through the 1978 revolution, the Iran / Iraq war and the subsequent rule of the Ayatollah Khomeini. Yes it is the animated “poignant tale” of a girl’s coming of age in a mysterious foreign land… but Persepolis is more than just a formula flick.

Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud do a brilliant job with directing this animated feature. Satrapi’s stark black and white characters have both the ability to create simple joy as well as a type of dread you wouldn’t imagine possible in this type of animation. Of course there is the immediate pull-factor Persepolis gets from being set in that most controversial of countries; Iran, but, being a French language film, finds an eloquence not many would associate with the country at the heart of Dubya’s ‘axis of evil’.

The Islamic theme is important to the film but not the crux. A stint in Austria, where Satrapi is sent by her parents at age 14, reaffirms the main issues of identity, pride and honesty. There is frustration and resentment of the Islamic laws at home but these are often framed as a simple matter-of-fact, and a part of life which Satrapi takes great joy in rebelling against. So rather than the audience feeling pity for the poor teenager whom has to buy their music on the black market, there's a hearty snigger as she sheepishly creeps along a back-alley full of shady characters in black coats and sunglasses selling their various contraband: “BeeGees”, “Iron Maiden”, “Iggy Pop”… "lipstick".
 
Indeed the film does well not to fall into a neat little box for Bush and his crony propagandists as Satrapi steers her story away from too much moralising. However it did fail to deliver the depth that was really needed to make this film hit as hard as it promised. Of course this is partly due to Persepolis being a memoir, but as we meet those characters who form and shape Satrapi’s life, like her Grandma and Marxist uncle, you’re left wanting more from these special characters than Satrapi seems willing to offer.
 
Despite not quite nailing it, Persepolis is a good film. Beautiful animations and an honest account of important Iranian history make it a must see – just not necessarily on the big screen.
 
Persepolis is showing at Palace Nova on Rundle Street from August 21