FEBRUARY 15, 2008 - VOL. 1, ISSUE 2

Young Marjane, drawn in simple black and white, walks down a sketchy street in her homeland Iran. Men with long coats look into the distance and murmur, “Bee-Gees?” “Abba?” with only the teen for an audience. Marjane, in her strong resolution against Abba keeps moving. Her black head-scarf is sharply contrasted with a white jacket modified to read “PUNK IS NOT DEAD” loudly on the back. After several proposed pop-western groups she hears the words, “Iron Maiden?” softly slip from a dealer’s mouth.

Armed with 50 tumans Marjane begins, “How much?” The dealer replies, “100 tumans.” “50.” “7.0” “50.” “60!” Marjane, stone cold glares into the man’s face, “50”. “O.k. 50”, she has won.

As she walks off two elderly Iranian women wearing the black scarves and robes made mandatory during the countries revolution abruptly halt her. They assault her with judgments. She is wearing, “punk shoes”. She argues that they are just sneakers. They prod her about her white jacket and are pushed over the line when they discover the slogan on the back. As they grab hold of panicking Marjane she vomits a lie. She says her mother is dead, her stepmother is wretched and if she gets home late she will be severely punished and sent to boarding school. As she cries out the persecutors become disinterested and walk away leaving Marjane, her jacket, and Iron Maiden free to go home.

This is the subject of Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi’s premier film. The French film is based on Satrapi’s graphic novel memoir of the same title. The story follows Marjane’s life through the violent revolution and wars of Iran. Satrapi’s story is particularly interesting because she is of formerly royal blood and revolution is seeded deep within her. Her parents are intellectuals and inspire protest in the young girl. As a child she is enamored of Bruce Lee and believes herself to be the last prophet. She has regular chats with God and pronounces his word.

When Tehran become too violent Marjane’s family decides that she must go abroad for security. Getting a passport to go abroad is a nearly impossible task at this point and the young girl is only able to because of her father’s connections.

She finds herself in Austria, unhappy, unable to last very long in any living arrangement. Here we see her do some real growing up. She meets a group of punk anarchists and tries on their values for a while.

Marjane is constantly evolving and changing her positions as she learns more. The only consistencies are that she always wants to learn more and when she picks a side she commits to it fully. This is seen when, as a kid, she puts nails between her fingers to lead a band of friends in a hunt after a neighborhood boy whose father has committed political atrocities.

This film is beautiful and incredibly honest. I don’t expect Satrapi to account for the accuracy of each event displayed- it would be pointless. The truth is that we are getting an insiders view of a world that is spun completely out of control on our televisions. I don’t think it’s inaccurate to assume that most Americans are more familiar with Iran in terms of Iranian fanatics stealing nuclear weapons in Hollywood action films (of course it’s in vain… the hero is going to grenade them to death in the end).

I feel stupid stating the obvious but: This film is infinitely relevant and important right now. America is at war in two countries and ignoring diplomacy with a third. The third: Iran.

Middle Eastern History is not a subject in most high schools. It would be embarrassing for our country if we did teach it. Most soldiers going into Iraq have no idea how this mess was started, and yes it goes further back than President Bush Sr.

Here’s where this film goes right. It’s accessible. The film is easily in the mainstream. If you can’t find a theater playing it you can go to any major bookseller and read the graphic novel! It is full of information but even without the politics it is an interesting story about a girl growing up. Satrapi has the absolute formula for an entertaining, engaging, educational experience. What’s more? You don’t get beat over the head with a guilt trip for being an American.

While the film deals with serious issues and takes political swipes we are never far from a light-hearted or richly sarcastic moment. Even when the claim is made that the CIA trained the Shah’s army how to really torture political prisoners we rebound with a scene of young Marjane playing a game of “torture” with her friends. Despite the grave message being conveyed you can’t help but laugh when the kids all cheer at the idea. It’s cute.

This film has its place in history, partly because it is based on the first graphic novel ever to come out of Iran, partly because it deals with subject matter that is shaping all our lives daily, but also because it stands out in the age of graphic novel films.

The fact that Persepolis is based on a true story gives it some weight over V for Vendetta. The fact that it is undeniably entertaining without the use of flashy graphics and an enormous budget makes 300 lick it’s boots. The fact that it is relevant to the current state of the world earns it more respect than I can offer for Sin City.

The part that is really stunning is that, in a bold move, they chose to keep the graphic novel… graphic. The biggest complaint with adaptations is that they don’t stay true to the original. Persepolis is guaranteed to be one step closer, simply because it is animated by the original artist, thus capturing her pure intentions.

The film ends the way it begins. We are taken away from the black and white animation and thrown into color, representing the present tense. Marjane, fully grown, is in a French airport. She smokes cigarettes. Puts her scarf on. Takes it off again. She leaves in a taxi. The enthusiastic French driver tries to make small talk but she is too overwhelmed with the memory of a country she is never to return. Her family has deemed Iran too oppressive for their only child. Our black and white memory returns as the taxi pushes away. Jasmine petals fall slowly down the black background. We hear the audio of her grandmother explaining that she smells so nice because she fills her bra with Jasmine petals every morning.

We leave knowing that despite Iran’s tyrannical government Marjane is at home there. As she is exported from the country she will have to find a new home in a land full of judgement. This is the best film for this time. As political sabers rattle, audiences are presented with a digestible account of life in Iran. The film is breaking ground in the art of adaptation. It’s beautiful, honest, current, accessible. There is no reason that this film should not be shown in classrooms across the country. Although, the CIA might not be too excited.