Persepolis
By Michael Brown at 9 June, 2010, 6:19 pm
Marjane Satrapi’s Oscar nominated autobiographical animation at first glance would appear perfect fodder for Channel 4’s weekday morning educational line up. Yet from inauspicious beginnings it grows to offer an insightful and deeply personal account of an Iranian people struggling to come to terms with societal transition and a tyranny they apparently brought upon themselves.
Persepolis’ traditional, hand-drawn frames give it a timeless feel and convey a genuinely chilling vision of revolution, war and isolation from a child’s perspective – in fact this film is a far more effective historical piece than many live action efforts.
However, in the post-Vienna period, when childhood innocence has been lost, the film is less successful, losing impact and descending into the angst ridden musings of a seemingly mal-developed adult.
It is all too easy to describe a movie as ‘required viewing’, yet despite its inherent problems Persepolis is just that, thanks to an ability to both entertain and educate. History lessons were never this fun in school.
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