 |
| Fig.1 'Persepolis' (2007) Poster |
Directed by Marjane Satrape and Vincent Paronnaud, 'Persepolis' is a film that follows the story of a Marjane (Director) and her memory of being a young girl living in Tehran. The film is now critically acclaimed and was once highlighted as Empire Magazines number 58 on 'The 100 Best Films of World Cinema' in 2010.
 |
| Fig.2 Film Still |
As well has having a story that is both harrowing and at times full of energy the visual elements of the film are what really draw the viewer in. The beginning of the film starts with a world of muted colour (present day) which then transforms into very graphic and illustrative pieces of animation, in black and white (Past). Three styles can be seen throughout the film, as well as the colourful world and the illustrative, black and white scenes, there are historical elements of the film that are shown via what looks like a shadow puppet show.
 |
| Fig.3 Film Still |
Overall the narrative of the film is that it is a coming of age story, something that has been seen countless times in cinema but the way in which it is presented with stylised animation in 'Persepolis' is what gives the story even more reason to strike a chord with audiences. Writing for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw says 'When I tell people it's a lo-fi animation, largely in black-and-white, about Iran, they put their heads in their hands and make a low groaning sound. But I've seen those same people bounce happily out of the cinema after seeing it as if they had some sort of caffeine injection. (Bradshaw, 2008) This feeling of energy upon seeing the film is something that many mainstream cinema viewers would more than likely feel as 'Persepolis' is a story that brings a new lease of life to the typical coming of age tale, it is sad yet funny, and dark yet light hearted at the best of times.
Bibliography
Bradshaw, P (2008) 'Persepolis' At: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/apr/25/animation.drama Accessed on: 10/03/2017
Illustrations
Figure.1 'Persepolis' (2007) [Poster] At:http://d2vo5twcnd9mdi.cloudfront.net/uploads_b5f24681-afcc-4df7-a325-ea0b5f990b96-936full-persepolis-poster.jpg Accessed on: 10/03/2017
Figure.2 [Film Still] At:http://www.jsbc.fr/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/persepolis-8-1064x596.jpg Accessed on: 10/03/2017
Figure.3 [Film Still] At:http://lukecorbin.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/3.jpg Accessed on: 10/03/2017
Hi Tom - Whilst your review covers the basics of the film there's too much content derived from other sources. I'd like to read more about what you thought about the story, the style, the themes, the production, the animation, and the cultural origins.
ReplyDelete