Persepolis: Terror And Humanity

Of the four or five foreign films I'm discussing, Persepolis is the only true story (and, if I decide against doing Cowboy Bebop, it would also be the only cartoon). It is an adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name, which is an autobiographical tale of growing up in the Middle East. Writer Marjane Satrapi wrote and drew the graphic novel, and co-wrote and co-directed the film, making it both an incredibly faithful adaptation and an unfiltered look at what life was life for her as a young woman.

Satrapi was born in Iran while the Shah was still in power. As a young girl, she knew that people were unhappy with their puppet leader, but she never fully understood why. She was a curious child, but her imagination would often run wild; when her parents explain why they oppose the Shah, she rallies her friends to try and attack the son of a loyalist. Soon, however, she and her family find a ray of hope when the Shah is overthrown and the opportunity for freedom finally presents itself. Unfortunately, the people "elect" to put Islamic fundamentalists in power, thus creating a society of even more intense oppression. Women are forced to wear burqas, Islam is the only religion that is allowed, and any Western influences are outlawed.

Meanwhile, the Iran-Iraq War begins, and the government tries to find a scapegoat to blame. Iraqis are painted as villains, and people in the West are dishonest manipulators. But the reason this is such a wonderful story is that it ties into the present (if you couldn't tell, this is kind of a recurring theme in my posts; many of the greatest stories are in fact great because they have messages that are always relevant). The citizens in Iran want to do nothing but live their lives in peace. When they can't do that, their government tries to satiate them with stories of why times are so hard. Not unlike what's happening with the United States today. In both cases, there is a degree of truth; for the Iranians, Americans and Britons were in fact responsible for some shady dealings, and there are terrorists out there today who want to attack the US. However, in both cases, the respective governments tend to trump up the accusations.

As Marji grows up, she spends many years outside of Iran. Her parents fear that she will never be able to have the life she deserves while living in Iran because of the terrible way women are treated in the country. She lives in Austria for most of her teenage years, where she meets other kids who are just as confused about the world as she is. In addition to the social commentary, the film is a search for identity. She struggles to fit in to European society (her nationality and religion are frowned upon), and she experiences both literal and figurative homelessness when her outspoken nature drives away the people she thought were her friends.

Like with Pan's Labyrinth, the trailer for this movie completely blew me away:



Sadly, this movie didn't get nearly the press or hype that Pan's did; I had to wait about a month and a half for it to come to a theater in my area, and even then, I had to drive 45 minutes to get to the theater showing it. I don't know when it will be released onto DVD, you have to check it out. It is equally emotional and exciting, with a great message about tolerance and understanding your "enemy".

Up next: Se, Jie...