Persepolis Movie Review Draft 1

A comic book. I must admit it wasn’t the first thing that popped into my mind when I thought of textual works which were transformed into film. Although an adoring fan of The Notebook, A Walk to Remember and several other novels of the same sort which have now become available via other mediums, I was, for some reason, apprehensive about viewing the graphic novel Persepolis as a motion picture.

Less than a week after concluding my readings of Persepolis, the first comic book I have actually read cover to cover, I was indifferent about watching it on film. Because this was one of my first experiences with comics, I hadn’t seen any films versions and therefore did not know what to expect. I remember being informed that we would have to read the slides as the voiceovers were in French. I also recall my exact thoughts of, “Lovely, I get to turn around and reread something I just finished!”. However, as I began watching the first day, I was very pleasantly surprised.

Although viewing the film version of Persepolis isn’t the same experience as going to the new release on a Friday evening, grabbing a bag of warm buttery popcorn and kicking back in the large theatre chair, it was just as valuable of an occasion. The film grabbed my attention and kept me engaged through its ending. The scenes were not developed in following the same methods as standard film, but they flowed and the well articulated transition was incredibly important in my opinion. Just as in the graphic novel, subtle transition occurred as multiple events unfolded, all of which shaped Marjane Satrapi, the main character’s, life and supported the purpose of the comic. This effective technique made it feel as if I weren’t working my way through a 153 page graphic novel but instead that I was reliving the experiences with her.

In addition, the character development was another aspect making for a successful completion. In reading standard books, visual images are associated with characters. However, the comic book provides pictures which assists in putting a face with a name so to speak. For me, although provided with a visual image for each character, I still seemed to develop their personalities further and other traits including tone of voice. I was pleased to find that the film did an exceedingly well job of keeping the characters the way they were developed in the novel. For example, Marjane Satrapi was a spunky little girl growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In reading the comic, the things she does and her reaction to events associates her with the defined rebel personality. For the film, not only was her character consistent with these traits but the voice which read her lines matched. Although in a different language, the tone of the things she said, the speed at which it was said and the pitch often matched my expectations. In addition, even though each line had to be read, hearing the voices was of great value. As I mentioned earlier, I was concerned that I would just be reading the comic for a second time while watching it flash across a screen. However, the voices, though not understandable, moved the film along and made it more realistic as I was able to place myself within the situation more so than if they had not existed.

Lastly, the images and there motions was yet one more feature of the film which made it successful. The director kept the same sketches as seen in the graphic novel but the addition of movement provided for an engaging experience for the audience.

The graphic novel and the film version of Persepolis written by Marjane Satrapi, were both incredibly intriguing mediums of communication which took serious content matter and made it understandable for the larger audiences at hand. Both of these were very closely aligned containing few differences. I personally did not expect to enjoy either and especially not the film version. However, after viewing (and reading) this I will happily admit it is something which can be appreciated by many. I would highly recommend reading the graphic novel as it allows more freedom in one’s own development of the story but, I would not forgo viewing the film if given the opportunity. I believe it is worth it!