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PERSEPOLIS 3 Stars - Enlightening For the people of Iran, the last few decades have been devastating
politically,
socially
and
religiously. Understanding this experience through the eyes of a young Iranian
girl
as
she
comes
of
age
gives
an
insider’s
view
not
usually
available
for
those
of
us
so
far
removed.
But
Marjane
Satrapi
invites
us
into
her
life
through
her
Oscar-nominated
animation
film
“Persepolis.” Having graphically expressed her experience in a world-acclaimed
novel,
Marjane
partnered
with
artist
Vincent
Paronnaud
to
create
a
compelling
stylized
black
and
white
animated
format
which
walks
us
through
the
first
years
of
her
life.
Born
in
1969
into
a
politically
active
family,
she
weaves
together
the
changes
in
Iran
with
her
own
young
life.
Having
been
educated
in
a
French
school,
Marjane
or
Marji
(voice
by
Chiara
Mastroianni)
eventually
chooses
to
leave
Iran
and
make
her
home
in
Paris. The film is therefore in French with subtitles. Persepolis was the capital of the Persian Empire. This title helps us grasp the struggle Marji
experiences
as
her
love
and
pride
in
her
people
is
evident
even
when
her
nation
is
being
manipulated
by
a
western
nation
who
takes
its
oil,
when
it
is
enduring
an
incomprehensible
war
with
Iraq,
or
when
it
is
under
the
dictatorial
power
of
the
Shah
or
the
religious
requirements
of
the
Ayatollah
Khomeini. Unexpected is Marji’s interest in western
culture
and
its
music
and
dress.
Having had several intense spiritual experiences in which she
sees
herself
as
a
prophet,
she
loses
faith
in
God
when
she
believes
him
to
be
impotent
in
the
face
of
the
suffering
of
her
family,
her
friends,
her
neighbors
and
her
nation.
In
the
final
experience,
the
film
presents
her
conversation
with
God
as
including
Marx,
implying
them
to
only
be
imagined
hallucinations
and
not
real
encounters. Marji’s parents (voiced by Catherine Deneuve and Simon Abkarian)
are
solidly
middle
class
but
avoid
the
political
fates
of
their
larger
family.
Her
uncle,
Anouche
(Francois
Jerosme)
had
fled
to
Europe
when
the
Shah’s
father
first
came
into
power
and
he
earned
a
doctorate
in
the
political
ideology
of
Marx. Anouche made sure that Marji knew the history
of
her
family
with
her
grandfather’s
fight
for
freedom
as
well. But it was Marji’s grandmother (voice by Danielle Darrieux)
who
teaches
her
about
integrity
though
she
also
encourages
her
to
get
a
divorce,
explaining
that
she
sees
a
first
marriage
as
“only
a
practice
for
the
second
and
lasting
one.”
It
is
this
acceptance
of
secular
values
that
is
most
disconcerting
in
Marji’s
life. Having disdain for the oppressive religious leaders of her land
and
their
inconsistent
requirements,
Marji
and
her
grandmother
seem
to
have
little
awareness
that
the
secular
viewpoint,
though
opposite
to
the
religious,
has
its
own
inconsistencies
and
barrenness.
Although
Marji
experiences
many
of
these
first-hand,
they
seem
to
have
little
effect
in
opening
her
eyes
to
this
fact. Persepolis gives voice to a unique childhood and insight into
a
struggling
nation.
As
such,
it
is
a
perspective
worthy
of
our
investigation.
Discussion:
________________ Cinema In Focus is a social and spiritual movie commentary.
Hal
Conklin
is
former
mayor
of
Santa
Barbara
and
Denny
Wayman
is
pastor
of
the
Free
Methodist
Church.
For
more
reviews:
http://www.cinemainfocus.com.
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