Persepolis review

 Number 301 on the top 1000 films of all time is the French 2007 adult-animated, coming-of-age, biographical drama Persepolis.

Persepolis was directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud. Satrapi also wrote the film adapting it from her autobiographical graphic novel of the same name. It tells the story of Marjane (Chiara Mastroianni) a young woman growing up in the midst of the Iranian revolution. To escape the horrors, her family reluctantly send her to a French lycee in Austria, but after struggling to fit in and going through much trouble and strife, Marjane grows homesick and returns to her parents in Iran.

Ever since I started doing the challenge of watching the top 1000 films of all time, I've had the opportunity to watch some of the most amazing films that I never would have had the chance to have done otherwise. If it wasn't for this list, then I never would have heard of Persepolis, but thank God I did, because it was a great film.

Firstly, it looked beautiful on-screen. The animation was gorgeous. Granted, it was only simple two-dimensional drawings, but this was completely intentional. Satrapi requested that the animations were kept as simple and as traditional as possible, so as not to date the film. To that end, she also deliberately chose to have the film rendered in black-and-white. This all had the effect of giving the visuals a gentle beauty. Everything was subtle and understated. There was nothing to distract you from the story.

Just like the animation, the story was simple, but no less masterful. If you strip away the horrors of the Iranian revolution, we have a basic coming-of-age story. One where Marjane, who like everybody else, is looking for acceptance and meaning. In this sense Persepolis was a microcosm of real life. In a case of the grass being greener, Marjane reluctantly leaves her home for a new life in Europe, only to realise that her fantasies don't match up to reality.

On a more macro level, Persepolis also showcased the horrors of the Iranian revolution in stark and brutal detail. The horrors that the regime committed were laid bare for everybody to see. Nothing was dressed-up or exaggerated. Everything was real. The voice performances and the animation all added to this powerful presentation.

I thoroughly enjoyed Persepolis. It was a relatable story told and presented with basic, but gorgeous animation. Yes, it was simplistic, but simplicity is not always a bad thing, as Persepolis proved in spades.