"Persepolis" is a deeply affecting tale of the power of resilience and an unflagging sense of humor through the worst of situations. Based on Marjane Satrapi’s fascinating memoirs (in graphic-novel form), this lyrical animated film for adult audiences powerfully proves the wide range of the medium in its capacity for distinctive and moving storytelling.
Told stylishly and eloquently, "Persepolis" is a coming-of-age tale of a plucky and precocious Iranian girl during the Islamic revolution of 1979. It also is perhaps the year’s best literary adaptation, thanks largely to the fact that Satrapi wrote and co-directed the movie with Vincent Paronnaud. Her wry voice pervades this poignant tale, and her distinctive black and white drawings are vividly brought to life, in a film that manages to find humor (as well as pathos) in chilling and horrific situations.
By using Survivor’s anthemic "Eye of the Tiger" to accompany scenes of a young woman’s quest for freedom from an oppressive regime, she is mocking formulaic filmmaking and still embracing honest emotion. There is both a sardonic and jubilant quality in those scenes that perfectly convey the complex intelligence of Satrapi’s narrative.
The graphic novel upon which it’s based is reminiscent of Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer-winning "Maus," which also potently illustrated the political through a very personal tale. It’s a brilliant way of informing mass audiences about politics and sociocultural issues, making the history lesson that much more eye-opening.
Though some of the events are as grimly dark as can be imagined, the film is buoyant and riveting thanks to Satrapi’s spirited writing, which is always affecting.
The bravely down-to-earth quality of the heroine’s perspective in her journey to maturity is augmented by the expressive quality of the animation, creating a palpable exhilaration by the time the story ends in the ’90s. She has an agreeably self-mocking tone, perhaps intensified by her sense of being an outsider, even as she exposes the outrages of the political regime. In that way we get a clear picture of what her native Iranians were suffering, while also getting a window into her multifaceted psyche. While she has much of the same teenage angst as other girls around the world, it’s intensified by her country’s turmoil and made all the more compelling by her intelligent awareness.
With its powerful fusion of the whimsical, satirical and emotional, "Persepolis" may well be the most original, inventive and moving film of the year.
Its title taken from the Persian capital founded in the sixth century B.C. and destroyed by Alexander the Great in A.D. 330, "Persepolis," austere as it may look, is full of warmth and surprise, alive with humor and a fierce independence of spirit. In French with English subtitles, it is rated PG-13 with a running time of 95 minutes.
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Date and Time
Friday Jun 13, 2008 Tuesday Jun 17, 2008
June 13, 14, 16 & 17 at 7pm
Sunday, June 15 at 2pm
Location
Smith Opera House82 Seneca StGeneva, NY
Fees/Admission
$5 general admission$3 students & senior citizens
Website
Contact Information
315-781-LIVE (5483) or toll-free 866-355-LIVE (5483)
