Persepolis

A couple of weeks before my departure to London, I stockpiled on some movies in case I needed to kill time while job hunting. Within my pile was Persepolis, nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the Oscars and based on a critically acclaimed graphic novel of the same name. It came highly recommended by a movie buff friend, and I was intrigued by the style of the movie and it's unique coming of age story. When I finally got around to watching it last week, I was all proud of myself because this movie had just started playing in London cinemas.


To my dismay, Persepolis was a French film and the copy I got was void of any English subtitles. There's an English dubbed version with the talents of Sean Penn and Iggy Pop, but this wasn't it. I decided to brave through it anyway, figuring that the stylistic animation will keep me from yawning and I'd be able to guesstimate the plot. I was right. The film was funny, witty, and at times disturbing. I got all that from not understanding a single word of the dialogue.


After watching the film, I bought the graphic novel to catch all the bits that I missed. As it turns out, Persepolis was a FRENCH graphic novel as well. Luckily, with the release of the film, I was able to easily find ample copies in English.


The book is a detailed autobiography of the author, Marjane Satrapi. Born and raised in war-torn Iran, her parents flew her to Austria for a better life. She later returns to Iran, only to find herself trying to readjust to a society that she no longer truly belongs in. The book feels like a diary, with snippets of memories that somehow all fit together. It also gives a very rare first person account of of what happened in Iran during that time.

For those who still think of comics as a medium strictly for superheros and jugheads, this book will change your perception in an instant. I'm convinced that Satrapi was able to tell her story far better with images then with just words alone. Her illustration style is very basic, all in black and white (not even a shade of grey), and it works very well in conveying her perception on her life's events.

I think I'm going to watch Persepolis (the movie) again, seeing how much I've missed in the dialogue. But this time, I'm gonna find it in English.