Persepolis (2008)

People often acclaim films that can make you laugh and cry within minutes of each other; if that’s a sign of cinematic success then ‘Persepolis’ must be one of the best films of recent years. The animated story of Marjan, an Iranian girl growing up through the Revolution, the onset of religious extremism, and her subsequent personal traumas, ‘Persepolis’ is touching, tender and, at times, terrifying.

Based on real events, the film is adapted from Marjan Satrapi autobiographical graphic novels, but where ‘Sin City’ portrayed comic book violence and vulgar sexual misogyny, ‘Persepolis’ presents a more stylised and harrowing reality. The fact that the film is animated has the opposite effect of suspending our belief, instead giving the impression that the truth is too unreal to dramatise. The style of the film is often expressionistic and through this we are able to interpret the emotional turmoil that Marjan experiences, both on a national and personal scale. This also brings lots of humour as we go through puberty with her, experience first (and disappointing) love, and her small rebellions against the system.

Surprisingly, there are also a lot of laughs that arise from the unthinkable situation the Iranians find themselves in after the Revolution. Most memorably, Marjan’s trip down back alleys to buy cassettes of rock music from shady dealers who whisper out band names like Class-A drugs (“Jichael Mackson?”). The film also shows the subtlety with which the system works – at moments I let myself think, “This isn’t too bad, they just have to be respectable in public and not draw attention to themselves”, but then when armed police officers arrive at a flat to break up a party and the young people are so terrified they race across the rooftops (resulting in one of them plunging to their death), suddenly you realise this is an absurd and unfair society to exist in.

Satrapi is an interesting character to follow in this situation. She had relatives connected to the uprising, persecuted by the governments both before and after the Revolution. She had a chance to escape and spend some time abroad but failed to appreciate the freedom she had until she arrived home again. She got married too young simply so she could be alone with her boyfriend. And she has both obeyed and disobeyed the law, as she goes through her journey of self-realisation. It is important to remember, however, her own bias in the story of Iran, and the ease with which we can judge them in the West. The Revolution occurred because the Shah was mistreating citizens and the subsequent elections saw the empowerment of the Islamic Party with 99% of the votes (mostly from uneducated, poor, rural communities). The Islamic Party may have turned into a worse dictatorship than the Shah but it was also the people’s choice and Marjan finds herself rubbing up against other citizens just as much as the authorities. Perhaps the best place for her, personally, is in Europe, where she has now settled, but there are many who prefer the rules and regulations of Iranian society.

Aside from the politics, this is a moving and empowering film, as Marjan seeks to take control of her life and her possibilities, outraged by the inequality and lack of understanding levelled at her in Iran. Sadly, she has to leave, and leave her family and friends, to be able to realise this.